


Straight Fire Meets Queen City

by Jauregui_slaysxo



Category: Charlotte/Becky Lynch - Fandom
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-07-27 09:58:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 31,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7613665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jauregui_slaysxo/pseuds/Jauregui_slaysxo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One, an Irish street fighter turned rockstar. The other, a self-hating werewolf from Charlotte, North Carolina. What happens when their lives cross? World War lll.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, so I know I haven't updated my AJ/Paige fanfic in ages, but I've decided to not continue that one. I'm terribly sorry, but I hope you'll love this one even more. This is an AU with Becky/Charlotte pairing and the OC of Emerson is my friend's, so I give her all the credit for that. I have about 12 chapters mapped out so far and I'll be updating every Friday, so don't worry about me not continuing. And of course I own nothing, not even Emerson, so this is for entertainment purposes only. Also, any song I use isn't mine either. This on is If You Can't Hang by Sleeping With Sirens. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: 

Becky Lynch was one hell of a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. Ten years in the making and Straight Fire was at the top of every magazine’s “Must See Bands of the Year” list. If one thing the magazines and tabloids got right, it was was that Becky Lynch’s year was definately 2015. From several different award nominations to headlining tours, Straight Fire was one of the hottest bands of the decade. 

When the Irish native was only 19, she had left her country behind to start a new life in America. Growing up in Dublin was one hell of an experience. If you couldn’t defend yourself, you might as well have been a sitting duck waiting for some thug off the streets to ruin your life. Becky wasn’t a sitting duck. Sure, she had been roughed up a few times but self defense classes and eventual underground street fighting allowed her to survive her tough teenage years. 

Her parents weren’t the strongest people. That was part of the reason why she moved to America. She had left them behind at only 19, but America allowed for her to make the money she needed to bring her family over and to give them the life they deserved. They couldn’t stay their whole lives in Dublin. At best, they would survive a few more years before becoming another victim to the streets. They didn’t become victims. Street fighting had allowed her to rack up just enough money to buy a small condo in Orlando, Florida and move her parents to the Sunshine State just three years later. 

Those three years were spent with her bandmates, who she had met the first year she moved to the states. Back in Ireland, Becky was never serious about music. She played a lot of guitar in her free time, but it was never something that she had ever considered taking seriously, even when her friends had encouraged her to. She wasn’t a lousy singer either. She had been told many times that she was extremely talented, but she never took any of it seriously. They were just flatterers, just people that were trying to make her feel better about her hard life. 

Turns out they weren’t just flatterers. For the first time in her life, Becky felt lucky. Not even six months after she had moved to Florida, she met the three people she would be spending the next ten years with in a coffee shop on the morning she was set for a job interview with a local restaurant. 

Walking into the coffee shop that day, Becky had been in a huge rush. It was a little after nine and she needed to be across town in less than twenty minutes for her interview. There was no way in hell she was going to make it, but there was also no way she was going to stay awake in the interview if she didn’t have some kind of caffeine. She didn’t cook and she definitely didn’t make her own coffee. 

As she stood in line, a line that was unnecessarily long, her attention turned to a loud group in the corner of a shop. It was way too early to be that loud. The table consisted of a bald man, who she could see was very tall even when he was sitting, another man with short, dark hair and a strong jawline, and a woman with maroon colored hair that looked like she belonged in a music video. The irony of that statement wouldn’t even hit Becky until years later. 

“Dude, she’s hot!” the man with dark hair had said, turning his attention to the orange haired woman that was staring at them from the line. Becky instantly recognized the Irish accent and widened her eyes, not even caring that he had just called her hot. He was Irish. 

“Shut up, Finn,” the woman next to him said, slapping his arm. He made a face, rubbing the spot she had hit. “She’s staring, there’s no doubt she heard you.” 

“Good, maybe she’ll come over,” Finn retorted, shaking his head at his friend. He looked back at her, smiling brightly and waved his hand in a friendly manner. 

Becky could still hear them and she couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips. No, Finn was definitely not her type, but he was Irish and funny. She looked behind her briefly, checking to make sure he was really waving at her. When she didn’t see anyone else looking, she turned around and gave a hesitant wave back. The man’s smile turned even goofier as he motioned for her to come over. 

As she thought back on the moment, she hadn’t realized how much these people would end up meaning to her. They had become her closest friends, practically family, and she wouldn’t have been able to make a living without them. She definitely didn’t regret going over to the table that morning. 

“Uh, hey,” she had said, lamely. Up close, all of them were no doubt some of the best looking people she had ever seen and it suddenly made her self conscious. With his back no longer facing her, the bald man smiled up at her as he motioned for her to take a seat beside him. 

“Hey there,” he said, scooting down some so that he was now across from Sasha. “You totally look like a badass.” Becky snort out a laugh, looking at the man as if he had three heads. 

“I’m going to be extremely late for a job interview and I stupidly came over here for you to tell me I look badass?” Becky asked, her eyebrows raised as she looked at the man beside her. She heard Finn gasp, slamming his hands down on the table. 

“Holy fucking shit, she’s Irish,” he exclaimed, watching Becky’s head jerk to look at him. “What’s your name?” 

She looked at him for a moment, eyes narrowed as she thought about whether or not she should tell this goof her real name. Why not? “Becky.” 

“Well, Becky,” Finn said, stretching his hand out for to shake. “It’s nice to meet a fellow Irish. I’m Fergal, but everyone calls me Finn.” He pointed to the man beside her and introduced him next. “That’s Claudio, but you can call him Cesaro. And this young lady right here is Mercedes, but we just call her Sasha.” He finished the introductions, throwing an arm around Sasha and ruffling her hair. She scoffed, pushing him away. 

“Look, it was really great meeting you all, like really,” Becky started, looking around the table. “But this job is really important and if I don’t make it I’m going to be shit out of luck.” She went to stand, smiling at the group as she waved. 

“Whoa, wait!” Cesaro said, reaching out his hand to try and stop her. “This might sound weird, but do you like music?” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he mentally slapped himself for the stupid sounding question. He winced when he saw the weird look the Irish woman gave him. 

“Yeah, I do,” she said hesitantly. “Why?” she asked a moment later. 

Cesaro looked at Sasha and Finn, continuing when they shrugged their shoulders. “I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. See, we’re in a band. Well we do shows and things like that at local bars and get paid a hefty amount, let me tell you, but anyway. We need a permanent lead singer who can play guitar. It’s a wild guess, but do you happen to do either?” 

Becky couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Six months into being in the states and these people were offering her a spot in their band when they didn’t even know anything about her. When she thought about it now, she couldn’t believe she had been crazy enough to accept the offer and skip her interview at the restaurant she had been trying for months to get. 

“Wait a second,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers. It really was too early for this. “You’re telling me that if I join your band, I’m guaranteed to make enough money to live on?” Cesaro had said they made a good amount doing these shows. But they didn’t have a lead singer, so what did they do?

“Yes, I promise you. We just need a lead singer. Right now Sasha and I alternate singing until we can find someone who will be our lead. Hopefully we just found her,” Cesaro said, scrunching his face up in scared hope. He totally expected her to turn it down. She was being approached by three wannabe rockstars who had nothing significant to offer her. They sounded crazy. 

“What’s the name of this band?” she asked, crossing her arms. She was actually considering it. 

“Straight Fire,” Sasha spoke for the first time, folding her hands in front of her. “Finn’s idea.” 

Again, Becky eyed the group. They all, herself included, must have been crazy. This whole thing was insane. Yet she took the offer. “If I skip this interview and we go and practice right now, I’m guaranteed to be in this band and make a decent amount of money doing local shows?” 

“Absolutely. If you’re good, however,” Finn responded, a small grin on his face. Becky practically rolled her eyes, hoping that this wasn’t going to blow up in her face. It didn’t. 

“Lead the way.” 

XXXXXX

Ten years later in 2015, the band was one of the best ones of the decade, yet still performed locally in Orlando for their fans who had been there to support them ten years prior. On one particular night, the hottest local bar was packed, making Becky a little nervous. She usually did pretty good with her nerves before a show, but the Orlando ones were always nerve wracking. These were locals, people who knew this band more than anyone else and if she screwed up, she’d never live it down. 

“Hey there,” the Irish native said, smiling brightly at a little girl who had made her way to the table where the band members were signing things before the show. The little girl practically squealed, thrusting out her Straight Fire shirt for Becky to sign. “What’s your name, love?” 

“Uh.” Becky tried her best not to laugh at the girl. She had been doing this for ten years, yet fan reactions still gave her chills and made her smile as if she had just won the lottery. 

“Kelly. Her name’s Kelly. Sorry about that,” the mom said, putting her hands on her little girl’s shoulders. Kelly just stared, a smile still stretched across her face. 

“Well come here then, Kelly,” Becky said, motioning for the girl to come around the side of the table. She quickly signed the shirt and slipped it over the girl’s head before wrapping her up in a hug, looking at the cameraman. Smiling brightly for the camera, the Irish woman turned to Kelly and gave her a high five before the girl jumped excitedly into her mom’s arms. 

“They’re fucking adorable,” Becky muttered to Finn beside her, smiling at the next person who came to the table. This one was a little older, maybe around 12, and his brown hair was long. “What’s your name, lad?” 

“Ryan,” he said, looking shyly down at the orange haired woman. He tugged on his sleeves, pulling them around his hands in a nervous tick. 

Signing the photo, Becky stood up to wrap her arm around the boy and smiled for the photo. “Smile, buddy, you’re amazing, yeah?” she said, ruffling his hair a bit. He gave a small smile, fist bumping the lead singer. 

“One more and then it’s showtime,” Becky said, patting Finn on the back. “You alright over there, Sasha?” 

The drummer rolled her eyes playfully, giving a thumbs up as she continued to sign a teenager’s CD. Sasha was such a sweetheart. 

“What’s your name?” Becky asked, not even looking up as she signed the photo in front of her. She was too excited, she needed to get on that stage, nerves or not. 

“Jenna.” Becky jerked her head up to look at the woman standing in front of her, trying not to drop her jaw in amazement. The woman was tall. And blonde. Very blonde. Her eyes were the lightest shade of blue Becky had ever seen and her gaze was locked softly on her, waiting for her to get over herself and give the photo back. 

“I kind of need that. My niece won’t be a happy camper if I came here and didn’t get an autograph from Becky Lynch herself,” the blonde, who was presumably not Jenna, said. 

“Sorry, yeah,” Becky said, snapping herself out of it. She slid the photo back to the blonde, standing up to stretch briefly. “Did you want a photo still?” she asked, stupidly. She heard both Cesaro and Finn snicker beside her and she really want to slap the shit out of them both. 

“Yeah. I’m sure she’d love to brag to all her friends about how her aunt met a rockstar,” the blonde said, coming around the table to stand beside Becky. The Irish woman’s breath caught in her throat and she practically fainted when she smelled the perfume the blonde was wearing. Her leather jacket and skinny jeans did wonders for her and Becky found herself just staring. 

“Aunt?” Becky asked, shakily wrapping an arm around the woman’s waist and trying her best to smile as the photo was taken. “You’re way too young to be an aunt.” 

“Well,” the woman said, backing away some. “That was the nicest thing I’ve heard all week.” She wiggled her fingers, waving at Becky as she started walking away. She felt Finn slap her on the back, urging her to do something. 

“Wait, what’s your name?” Becky called out, sprinting to stand beside the woman. 

“Charlotte. My real name is Ashley though,” she said. “Good luck with your show tonight.” 

“Wait, are you staying?” Becky asked, desperately not wanting the woman to leave yet. 

“Of course. I paid good money to be front row,” Charlotte responded, a grin covering her features. “For my niece’s sake, of course,” she added, her grin increasing as she started walking again. 

“Uh huh,” the Irish woman said, laughing some as she started to grin herself. “For your niece’s sake.” So maybe she hadn’t lost her teasing abilities in the presence of this gorgeous woman. 

“Don’t even think about it,” Sasha’s voice said from behind her, scaring her out of her gaze on the blonde who had just entered the crowded bar. 

“What?” Becky asked innocently, turning to look at her bandmate. 

“I’m tired of you bringing your slutty one night stands back to our bus every night,” Sasha retorted, crossing her arms and giving a knowing look. “So either find a serious relationship or start taking the sluts to a motel.” 

“Oh come on, she wasn’t even interested,” Becky whined, crossing her arms. “You bring people back and I don’t say anything.” 

“Those people aren’t loud and they aren’t filthy. Plus, that woman was totally interested. She’s that type of girl who teases and teases until she had you where she wants you and then she just drops you like a sack of potatoes,” Sasha rambled, her nose turned up in disgust. 

“Are you hitting on me? Is this what this is?” Becky asked, advancing on the shorter woman. Sasha unfolded her arms, shoving Becky away in disgust as the Irish woman let out a loud laugh. “Thought so.” 

“Straight Fire! You’re up! 15 minutes to go,” a crew member shouted, urging them all inside. 

“I’m serious, Becky. Do not bring her back to the bus or you and I will have serious issues,” Sasha said, trying her best to sound intimidating. It just made Becky smile. 

It was showtime.

XXXXXX

“Orlando! Thank you so much for coming out tonight, it’s so fucking good to be back,” Becky said, earning cheers from the packed bar tonight. “Scream was one of the first bars we ever performed at and we can’t thank you all enough for the support you’ve given us along our journey.” She looked around at the crowd, her gaze eventually settling on the tall blonde’s in the front row, exactly where she said she’d be. The Irish woman’s gaze faltered when she saw a shaggy blonde haired man with his arm draped around her. Of course she had a boyfriend. 

“Now that I’ve said all the sappy shit, let’s get this night started,” Becky said, looking down at her guitar as she nodded to her bandmates to start. 

A heavy intro started, Becky and Finn starting out on guitar while Cesaro nodded along, waiting for his cue. Smiling wickedly at Finn, Becky stood in front of him while she played before turning her attention the the mic and started singing for the excited crowd. 

Met a girl at seventeen

Thought she meant the world to me

So I gave her everything 

She turned out to be a cheat

Said she'd been thinking for a long time

And she found somebody new

I've been thinking that this whole time

Taking the mic off the stand, Becky slung her guitar around and stood next to Sasha as the younger woman tapped on the drums, ready for the next line. She made sure to keep her gaze down, but still smiled as she sang. 

Well I never thought you'd stay

That's okay

I hope he takes your filthy heart

And then he throws you away someday

Before you go, there's one thing you oughta know

By now, the Irish woman had grown bold and made her way to the front of the stage for the chorus and made sure to look down at the blonde haired woman who looked so happy to be there. She ignored the smiling goof on the woman’s shoulders as she stared down into the blue orbs. 

If you can't hang then, there's the door, baby

If you can't hang then, there's the door, baby

If you can't hang then, there's the door, baby

If you can't hang then, there's the door

Becky started in on the guitar again, looking away from Charlotte to fix the mic so that the crowd could sing the next lines. She couldn’t help the smile that covered her face as she heard the fans singing. 

“I don’t wanna take your precious time, cause you’re such a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty face but you turned into a pretty big waste of my time.” The Irish native felt chills creep along her spine as the audience sang and she continued to strum the chorus. 

I don't wanna take your precious time

'Cause you're such a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty face

But you turned into a pretty big waste of my time

I don't wanna take up all your time

'Cause you're such a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty face

But you turned into a pretty big waste of my time

Halting on the guitar, Becky held out the mic for the crowd to sing again. “You’re the lowest type, you’re the lowest.” 

 

I met a girl stuck in her ways 

She found a girl she knew she'd change

I changed my clothes, my hair, my face

To watch us go our separate ways

She said we've grown apart for sometime

But then she found somebody new

I hope Mr. Right puts up with all the bullshit that you do

Stay the hell away,

While I sit here by myself

And figure out how I got this way

Before you go, there's one thing you oughta know

The Irish native let the crowd sing the rest of the song until the ending, where she jumped off the stage and stood in the front row, directly in front of Charlotte and her blonde counterpart. She let her guitar rest against her back as she sang, starting to feel the nerves a little more. 

 

I met a girl at twenty-three

Knew she meant the world to me

So I gave her everything

And she did the same for me

Imagine that

The blonde haired man practically pissed himself when Becky stood in front of them, his face lighting up with excitement. She ignored him, sliding back onto the stage to finish the song. At the last line, Becky let out a sigh of relief and and bent forward playfully bowing to the crowd who was screaming excitedly. She looked at Charlotte, finally feeling the best she had all night when she saw the man detach himself. The blonde woman smiled up at Becky, clapping as she let her eyes travel down the length of the orange haired woman’s body. Maybe Straight Fire wasn’t as bad as she had thought. 

XXXXXX

“Becky!” An English voice shouted over the crowd. “Back at it again with those fucking amazing shows.” 

One of Becky’s closest friends and former street fighting rival turned bar owner approached her with her arms outstretched. Becky and Paige had met years ago in Europe when both women were struggling to make ends meet for their families and both had turned to making money in the dirtiest way possible. Illegal underground fighting. 

Paige was only 13 when she met Becky. Hard to believe considering she was one of the best fighters that business had ever seen. She was forced to quit when she was hit a little to hard one day and found out that her back wasn’t in the greatest condition. Scoliosis they said it was. That’s when Paige moved. She stopped the street fighting, her mother and father bringing her over to America when she was fourteen to continue their family wrestling business in a place where they were allowed to make a lot more money than they were back home. 

Paige escaped before her. She spent the little amount of time she still had left in Ireland trying her best not to hate the British woman for leaving. It wasn’t her fault. It was best for their family business. At least that’s what she kept telling herself to make sure she didn’t harbor any hate for her friend. 

“I’m sweaty, but I don’t care, you deserve it,” Becky said, wrapping her arms tightly around the dark haired woman. Paige didn’t even flinch, she just hugged her back. 

“Anyway, asshole,” Paige started, pulling back from her friend. “There’s some blokes here I wanted you to meet.” She pointed to the group huddled around the bar, most of them talking and laughing loudly. “Oh and by the way, nice set guys,” Paige added to Finn, Cesaro, and Sasha behind Becky. 

“Thanks there, hot stuff,” Finn teased, slapping Paige on the back. The England native just rolled her eyes, pointing to the group again. 

“Hey! Shitheads, listen up,” she shouted, successfully gaining the attention of the men and women huddled together. The shaggy haired man sitting closest to them snapped his head up, raising an eyebrow at Paige. “Everyone, this is Becky Lynch, Cesaro, Sasha Banks, and Finn Balor.” She glared at Finn before adding “Stay away from that one, he’s trouble.” 

Becky waved, watching the shaggy haired man’s attention drift back to the redhead entering from behind the bar carrying a few cases of beer. 

“She’s a new one,” Becky said to Paige, raising an eyebrow. “How’d you like the shift tonight?” The Irish woman shouted across to the redhead, smiling when she huffed out a breath. She was teasing the woman, she knew the bar had been really packed tonight and would be a lot of work for the bartenders.

“It was interesting to say the least,” the redhead answered, grinning some. “I’m Emerson by the way, most people call me EJ or Em. I would shake your hand, but.” She motioned to her full hands. “Kinda can’t.” 

“It’s cool,” Becky said, laughing. “I’m Be-” 

“Oh I know who you are, trust me,” Emerson cut her off, setting the drinks down. “I think the whole world does. Becky, Finn, Cesaro, and Sasha. Right?” She asked, impressing everyone watching. 

“Fan or stalker?” Becky joked, grinning some. Sasha slapped her on the back, giving her a face. She was always so hard on Becky, even though she was years older than the woman. 

“Oh, isn’t there a fine line between the two?” Emerson asked, raising an eyebrow. “But fan, kinda have to be if you’re a theater major like me.” She grinned. “You’d be surprised at how many theater nerds listen and know the lyrics to your songs.” 

“Somehow, I don’t find that surprising,” Becky said. “I mean, we’ve been around for ten years and most of our fans are under the age of 15. How is that possible? I have no idea.” The clearing of the shaggy haired man’s throat caused Becky to look over at him, her smile faltering a bit.

Emerson laughed and looked at Dean as he interjected himself into the conversation. “Since Paige here is a terrible hostess, I’ll introduce us. This is Seth,” Dean said, pointing to the man beside him before going down the line. “Roman, Dolph, his sister Charlotte, his girlfriend Lana.” Dean pointed to the other blonde with pink streak in her hair. “That’s Natalya, our home boy Randy, the creepy clone look alike is Nikki and her boytoy is John.” Brie and Emerson laughed when Nikki hit Dean in the back of the head. “And I’m Dean.” 

Sasha rolled her eyes, crossing her arms when she saw the blonde that Becky had been fascinated with earlier standing in the group. “Becky-” 

“Sh, did you hear that?” The orange haired woman said, smiling from ear to ear. “That’s her brother!” Becky whispered excitedly. She was like a kid in the candy store. It was embarrassing. 

“Well, it’s nice to meet all of you,” Sasha said, ignoring Becky as she put on her best smile. “I would also stay away from this one, along with who Paige said, Finn, because she’s wild.” 

“Really?” Charlotte spoke up, her eyes finding their way to Becky’s. “How wild?” The blonde’s eyes narrowed in a sultry gaze as she eyed the orange haired woman. 

“How wild would you like it to be?” Becky questioned, grin on her face as she walked closer, taking the drink from Charlotte’s hand. She downed it without even asking permission, setting it down on the bar when she was done to see the blonde watching her with a mixture of interest and curiosity. 

Emerson laughed and shook her head as she walked away from the scene, seeing which party goers needed a drink and which ones needed to be cut off.

“Son of a bitch,” Dean groaned out, watching Emerson walk away. “I wanted her to stay.” Seth nodded his head in agreement as he watched her leave. 

“I have to pee,” Sasha said, looking at Paige. “Which way to the bathroom?” The England native pointed the maroon haired woman towards the bathroom near the back. 

“Look,” Becky started, sitting down in the seat that Dolph had been sitting in before he went to dance with Lana. “Not really good with the whole talking to people, especially a pretty woman like yourself.” 

Charlotte rested her her chin in the palms of her hands, her mouth turning into a light smile. “Do you say that to all the pretty ones?” the blonde asked, amusement taking over. 

“Please don’t make this harder than it already is,” Becky said, groaning in frustration. She pursed her lips, trying not to glare at Charlotte who was trying not to laugh. 

“Okay,” Charlotte said, leaning so that she was practically sitting on the Irish woman’s lap, her face hovering above her ear. Becky almost lost control of herself as the blonde’s teeth scraped against the bottom of her ear. “Not happening.” She pulled away, motioning for the bartender to get her another drink, since Becky had drank hers.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Becky said, her face falling. Sasha had been right. “Look, I may be a douchebag for this, but I just want some fun. You can’t tell me you don’t want that either.”

Charlotte took a sip of her drink, pondering as she looked down in her glass. “You’re right. I do want that.” She looked back at Becky, a smile no longer on her face. “But I don’t want it with an asshole rockstar who only wants me for one thing and for one night before she moves on to the next fuck in the next city.” 

“Geez,” Becky said, moving her head back some in shock. “I didn’t mean to be that big of an ass.” She hesitated for a moment when Charlotte didn’t say anything. “I’m sorry. Really. Look, we don’t have to do anything, I honestly just want to spend time with you. Sex would just be a bonus.” 

Charlotte scoffed, taking another drink. “Yeah, I’m not going back to your hotel room or bus or wherever alone with you. I know how people like you work.” 

“Charlotte, seriously. Finn, Cesaro, and Sasha will be there. You really fascinate me and hold my attention. Not a lot of people do that and all I want is to get to know you for who you are, yeah?” Becky bent her head some, trying to meet the blonde’s eyes. “I promise you I won’t try anything. If you still don’t want what I’m offering than at least give me your number. I really don’t want to lose contact.” The Irish woman was trying really hard here and she hoped it was about to pay off. “You can leave whenever you want. I’ll even drive you where you need to go.” 

Charlotte turned her head to look at the orange haired woman, her jaw clenched. She saw the hopeful and sincere look on the woman’s face, instantly believing every word she said as soon as she made eye contact. 

“Okay,” Charlotte said softly, taking another drink. When she turned her head, she missed the victorious smile that covered the Irish woman’s face. “But I have to be back home before 12. I’m watching my niece tonight and she’s expecting a full report.” Charlotte just hoped she would live up to all she just promised because she liked the guitarist and really didn’t want to cut her loose just yet. 

“You’ll be back at 11;59,” Becky responded, huge smile on her face. This night just got so much better. 

XXXXXX

While the two groups were chatting with one another, Emerson glanced up and saw Sasha being chatted up by a man she didn’t look all too comfortable talking to. The short redhead didn’t think about her actions as she climbed over the bar counter, landing on the other side.

“Oy!” Paige yelled, not only to be ignored by Emerson but drawing the two group's attention as well.

“Hey,” Emerson said, moving over to put her arm around Sasha’s waist. “I’ve been lookin’ everywhere for you.” 

Sasha practically sagged against the younger woman with relief. “Hey! I’m just happy you found me.” The maroon haired woman hugged the redhead tightly as she spoke. “Ready to meet up with the gang?” 

Emerson pulled back. “Definitely,” she said, looking at the man that had tried to get Sasha’s number. “Thanks for not letting my friend get bored while she waited.” The two women went to move, but were yanked back by the man. 

“I don’t think I was done talking to your friend.” The grin the man shot Emerson as he spoke made her nervous. “But now that you’ve joined us the party just got more fun.”

Emerson let out a fake laugh, forcing herself not to wince as the man tightened his grip around her wrist. “Listen,” the redhead began, tone light. “I’m going to give you until the count of three and if you don’t let me or my friend go you’re going to be face first on the bar counter before you can blink.” Sasha’s eyes widened as the tiny redhead’s tone became darker. “So...one,” when the man just scoffed Emerson narrowed her sea green eyes. “Three.” In a blink, the man’s head smashed against the counter and the arm that was gripping Sasha was roughly twisted behind his back. Fuck two, she went straight to three when she saw the mocking look on the man’s face. 

“Here’s how this is going to go,” Emerson started, tone matter of fact. “Once you apologize to my friend here I’m going to let you go and you’re going to go home with your tail between your legs.” She glared down at the man whose expression had changed significantly and now looked absolutely terrified. “Got it?” When the man didn’t answer, Emerson tightened her grip on the twisted arm. He muttered something incoherent that sounded a lot like “I’m sorry” so Emerson let him up and shoved him towards the door. 

“Goddamn girl,” Becky said, moving towards the commotion. “Where were you ten years ago?” She looked over at Paige who looked as if she were about to kick out everyone in the bar. 

“Considering I was 11 ten years ago,” Emerson said, pausing. “Ballet or Boxing, I don’t remember.” She turned to Paige. “Sorry about the counter thing, but time was of the essence.” 

Paige gritted her teeth, throwing her towel over her shoulder. “Yep. I understand perfectly.”

“Seem pretty angry to me,” Emerson answered. “Which you have every right to be, but-”

“It’s fine,” Paige said, shaking her head. “Just hate when people start shit. Bad for business.” 

“I’ve heard that before,” Becky grumbled, shooting Paige a look. She jumped when a hand made it’s way to the top of her back, the fingers resting just on the edge of where her shirt began.

“You have one hell of a reaction,” Charlotte said, not bothering to look at the woman she was touching. Becky swore this woman was bipolar. 

“Had to be,” Emerson said, smiling as she walked around the bar. “Dad and Uncle paid a lot of money to make sure their little angel was trained properly.”

“Were they diplomats or something?” Nikki asked, leaning onto John as she questioned the redhead.

Emerson chuckled and shook her head no. “Not even.” The curly hair woman’s tone held amusement as she spoke. “Cops.” 

Dean, who was taking a drink of beer, nearly choked to death. “Get the fuck out of here,” he wheezed out. “Cops?” 

“Well, I guess you could call them that,” Emerson said, shrugging her shoulders. “They weren’t really the good, protective kind.” 

Becky looked over at a small group that had gathered near them, watching as they started whispering as if the Irish woman couldn’t tell they were talking about them. “Something I can help you with?” she asked. They shook their heads, quickly looking away. 

“Hey, they were talking about you, rockstar,” Charlotte whispered. “Not about the confrontation. Don’t forget, you’re famous.” 

Becky shook her head, trying to ignore the butterflies erupting inside her. “Yeah, thanks, I’ll try not to.” She turned her attention back to Emerson, who was staring at Roman as she spoke. 

“And I can tell from the glock that Roman has on hips that he is definitely part of your security detail even though he’s your best friend,” Emerson continued. “And that even though you keep Seth close to you he could protect himself, just by his posture.” She eyed the two-tone man. “Let me guess, jiu jitsu?” She turned to Dean, smirking some. “And while you’re not formally trained you definitely know how to fight.” She paused and looked at Becky then to Paige. “Just like them, so I’m either going for bare knuckle boxing or street fighting and I’m leaning more towards street fighting because it seems more your style, Moxley.” 

“What do I even say to that?” Becky asked, her mouth slightly agape. “What do you say to that?” she asked Dean, eyebrow raised. “Well?” 

“I say damn girl, you’re good,” Dean rasped out, leaning on the counter. “And that you, Seth and I need to go get a bite to eat after your shift is over.”

Emerson raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?” 

“Really,” Dean confirmed. “What do you say darlin’?” The Ohio native looked at Seth who was smirking.

“I’d say we’d have a lot to talk about,” He glanced at Emerson as she spoke, tone smooth. “What do you say sweetheart?”

Becky looked on, seeing the sparks practically flying in the small space between the three. Both herself and Emerson were royally screwed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: 

“Welcome to the crib,” Becky said, holding out her arms as she grinned, showing off the tour bus. “Well, I honestly don’t know why we have a tour bus. We have one more show and it’s tomorrow night in Tampa Bay. Then the tour is over and vacation starts. Well, besides the endless interviews and new music making.” As she rambled, she watched a dopey smile cross Charlotte’s face as she rambled, silently debating whether she was embarrassed or happy with herself. 

“Good to know you won’t be too far,” Charlotte responded, her smile never fading. “Do you live here?” The blonde looked around, specifically the area with the large flat screen TV and cushioned chairs. 

“Yeah, suburbs of Orlando. Not too far from here, actually,” Becky said. Her eyes followed Charlotte’s back as she scanned the medium sized place, running her fingertips along the photo frame perched on the table beside Becky’s bed. It was the last photo of her parents that had been taken before she left them. Yeah, they were here in Florida, but she didn’t get to see them a lot with all the traveling. The photo made her happy and kept her close to her parents even when they weren’t around. But she did have to put the frame face down when she brought someone back. She couldn’t have the photo staring at her while she was sleeping with some random groupie. 

“You don’t live too far from me than either,” Charlotte said, not bothering to comment on the photo. “I live about twenty minutes away.” She turned around and set her gaze on a nervous Becky. The Irish woman smiled, trying her best to shake the nerves away. 

“Dude!” Cesaro shouted, holding up a beer bottle. “If you’re going to bang her, can you close the door this time?” he asked, clearly very much intoxicated. Becky instantly shot him a look that told him to shut his trap, but he just giggled and clinked bottles with Finn who was sitting next to him at the kitchen table. 

“I’m sorry,” Becky said, shaking her head. Charlotte had just bit her lip, looking down at the floor when the Irish woman spoke. “Don’t listen to them, they’re hell bent on embarrassing me and ruining my night. How far a walk is it to your house?” Maybe some fresh air away from her annoying bandmates would make both herself and Charlotte feel better. 

“Maybe an hour. Depends on how fast you walk and if you want to be murdered,” Charlotte responded, looking towards the door. “Not exactly safe to be walking out in Orlando 11 at night.” 

“I’ll walk you home. I promise I won’t let anything to happen to you.” When Charlotte laughed, Becky frowned and picked up her jacket, slipping it on. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me. I’ve taken down grown men with one hand. You need to know how to defend yourself if you grow up on the streets of Dublin.” She reached for Charlotte’s arm, smiling when she felt her body relax and her gaze soften. 

“I sure hope so,” the blonde responded, following Becky. She felt like she was 16 again, sneaking out late at night when she clearly knew she wasn’t supposed to be. 

“Hey!” Finn shouted after them as the door banged shut. “Where you headed?” He sighed, sinking back in his seat when he was clearly ignored and continued to drink. 

“He’s worried about you,” Charlotte said after a moment, stepping into stride with the Irish woman. “You should have told him where you were going.” 

Becky sighed, pulling her jacket tighter around herself. “He’ll be okay. He’s got Cesaro and Sasha.” She looked at Charlotte as the blonde walked beside her. The full moon that night made her face glow and her eyes shine an even prettier color that Becky didn’t even know was possible. She nearly tripped and ran into a few people before she finally tore her gaze away to focus on the path. 

“What was it like in Dublin?” Charlotte asked, choosing not to mention the staring, knowing that it would only embarrass the woman further. She watched Becky’s expression change and prayed that she didn’t just ruin things already. 

“Honestly,” Becky started, concentrating on her feet as they scraped against the concrete. She turned and followed Charlotte, forgetting that she didn’t even know the way to her house. “Horrible. There’s so many gangs, so much violence, and people just aren’t nice at all. Part of the reason why I’m here now.”

“Are your parents-?” Charlotte started, but found herself not being able to finish. Hearing this and seeing the photo by the woman’s bed, she assumed the worst. 

“No, no,” Becky said, shaking her head. “They’re here. They’re safe.” She continued to follow the blonde, crossing the street when the light changed. “Uh, what about you?” She decided to take some of the attention off of her at least for a few minutes. 

“Well,” Charlotte started, her gaze giving off that sultry look that seemed so natural on her. “I guess I’ll start out light and basic. I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hint the nickname,” she added, winking at the orange haired woman. “I’m the middle child, my half brother Dolph being the oldest out of all my dad’s kids.” 

“Born in Charlotte?” Becky asked, confusion taking over. “How’d you get down here?” 

“Let’s just say, dad and Dean are business partners,” Charlotte said, shrugging some. “Plus Dolph and Lana live here so..” She looked ahead to where she was walking before continuing. “Didn’t want to be alone. My youngest brother died a few years ago.” So much for light topics. 

“I’m sorry,” Becky said, mentally smacking herself at how cliche and stupid she sounded. When Charlotte just smiled sadly, she continued. “I’m glad you’re here now. You seem pretty content.” 

“I am. His daughter, Jenna, is pretty much all I have. My dad has custody of her, but I’m pretty much her mother. She needs me,” Charlotte said, making another turn as she turned to look at Becky. 

Deciding not to comment any further, Becky smiled before asking her next question. “What’s your last name, Charlotte?” 

The blonde scoffed playfully, crossing her arms. “Fliehr. You?” 

“You already know my last name,” Becky retorted, sticking her tongue out. Charlotte shook her head, raising an eyebrow. 

“What’s your real name?” Becky looked at her, shock written on her face. No one had ever questioned her like that. This girl was something else. 

“What makes-?” she cut herself off, deciding she would be wasting her breath lying. “Rebecca Quin.” 

“See, there we go,” Charlotte teased, hooking her arm through the orange haired woman’s. She watched Becky roll her eyes, but smile nonetheless. “How old are you?”

“Almost 29. I’ll be 29 on January 30th,” she responded instantly, trying to turn her nerves down again as she felt the blonde’s fingers ghost across her arm. “I’m this huge star and you don’t know my age or my birthday?” she asked playfully. 

“I just turned 29 a few months ago. April 5th,” Charlotte said, motioning for Becky to keep walking straight. “Young one. And no, my niece is into your shit, I’m not.” 

“Look who’s talking, grandma. My shit is amazing, get with the times,” Becky shot back, shoving her playfully. “Where have you been all these years?” She blurted it out before she could even think. She instantly closed her mouth, avoiding the blonde’s gaze. 

“I could say the same about you,” Charlotte practically whispered, reaching down to grab the Irish woman’s hand. Becky almost squealed, biting her lip to try and keep her excitement at bay. “Never thought I’d see the softer side of a rockstar. Never even thought I’d be talking to one like this.” Becky’s smile faltered slightly, her mind racing. Of course Charlotte would see her just as some cliche rock star. She was a douchebag, what did she expect?

“I’m Becky,” the Irish woman said after a moment, her strides slowing. “I’m not just the lead singer of a band. I’m a real person and I do normal things. I don’t want you to think of me as some tabloid headliner or some big cliche. Yeah, I joke about it a lot, but those are just that. Jokes. I’ve been around you for less than 10 hours, but what you think of me is really important to me. Please don’t look at me as that singer from Straight Fire. I’m hoping that this right here, opening myself up, will show you that I’m only human.” 

Charlotte pointed to the corner, motioning that her house was right there. She was trying not to feel bad about making assumptions, but she couldn’t help herself. “We’re here. I’m sorry,” she said, propping herself up on the first step. The house was a decent size and a bright white color, Becky already knowing just by the looks of the outside that the inside was spotless. 

“It’s okay,” Becky said quietly, picking at her fingernails. “Time flies, huh?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood. Charlotte gave a sly grin, looking up at the orange haired woman through her lashes. 

“Well,” she started, trailing off a bit. She patted the concrete step beside her, hinting for the woman to sit down next to her. When Becky did, she continued. “I may have led us off track a little and stretched the truth about the amount of time it takes to get here.” 

Becky raised an eyebrow, not being able to help the smile that crossed her features. “Is this even your house? Or did you just get tired and need a break?” Charlotte gasped, slapping Becky on the shoulder. She didn’t even bother to stop the laugh that erupted from her as she leaned against the railing. 

“This is my house,” she said, settling down. “Promise. And my niece is inside…” she trailed off, nudging the Irish woman’s shoulder. 

“Is that your excuse for trying to get me inside?” Becky teased, pushing back. 

“Oh, I didn’t ask you to come in,” Charlotte shot back. “Merely stating a fact. She’s probably asleep anyway, who am I kidding? No matter how much she loves you, that girl loves her sleep even more.” 

“Well, maybe I can drop by again…” Becky suggested, hoping it wasn’t too obvious that she really wanted to see the woman again. 

“Sure,” Charlotte said, surprisingly quickly. “She’d love to meet you.” She looked over at Becky, staring at the brightness of her hair and really noticing her toned shape in the moonlight. The woman did look like she could take someone out easily. “Wait,” she said, thinking of a slight problem that she probably should have thought of before she allowed Becky to walk her home. “How are you getting back to the bus? You can’t walk back by yourself at this time of night.” 

“Training, remember?” Becky asked, smiling a bit. She let the smile go when she saw the concern on Charlotte’s face. “Or I could call someone from management and have them pick me up. No problem.” She took a deep breath, getting to her feet. “I should go, actually.” The Irish woman pulled out her phone and pulled up the contacts before handing it to the blonde. “Please?” 

Charlotte couldn’t help herself as she smiled brightly, taking the phone. “Fine,” she said, typing the number in. She locked it, handing it back to the orange haired woman. “Don’t abuse it. Don’t want to have you ringing me every two minutes,” she teased, standing as well. “Call your people.” Her look turned stern as she crossed her arms, nodding to the phone. 

“I will, okay? I promise,” Becky responded, holding up her hands. “I want to go across the street to this store and have them pick me up from there. I don’t want to risk someone tailing them and starting some tabloid headline about you when they find out who you are.” 

The older woman hesitated, pursing her lips as she considered the statement. “I’ll watch you go.” 

Becky’s insides twisted, liking the feeling of someone caring so much, even though this woman knew little about her. “Okay. Goodnight, Charlotte.” She clenched her jaw, forcing a smile as she turned around to start walking.

Nearing the street, she stopped herself and headed back to where the blonde was standing. Their eyes met for a moment before Becky decided to play it safe and planted a light kiss on the blonde’s forehead that lingered afterwards. She watched Charlotte close her eyes at the feeling and felt her heart clench painfully at the sight. 

“I’ll talk to you soon,” Becky said in a hushed tone, separating herself from the older woman who had finally opened her eyes to watch her back away. 

 

XXXXXX

As soon as Charlotte heard the ringing sound of a notification from her phone, she quickly picked it up off the kitchen table before her niece sprinted over to take it from her. The twelve year old was a handful and loved to snoop in other people’s business, especially her aunt’s. 

“Not today, squirt,” Charlotte said, opening her text message. She shoved Jenna away when she tried to snatch the phone from her hand, still staring at the screen. 

Miss me yet?   
7:12am

It was a number she didn’t recognize, but the person didn’t need a name. She automatically knew it was Becky and she silently wondered why it took the woman so long to text her. She had given the Ireland native her number three days ago and was starting to think she would never hear from her again. By now, Jenna had known about her personal, first hand experience with the lead singer and was more than ecstatic. Her twelve year old niece made it a point to tell her how stupid she was for not taking Becky’s number instead so that she could have control over when she texted, but Charlotte tried her best to ignore her. 

“Is it her? Is that why you’re all smiley and protective?” Jenna asked, breaking her aunt out of her thoughts. 

Charlotte snapped her head up, looking at the girl. She felt her cheeks heating up and she was in fact smiling, something that she found herself not being able to help. “Finish your breakfast or you’re going to be late for school.” 

“Oh come on, Aunt Char,” Jenna said, putting on her best pouting face. “That woman is like my idol and she has your number, you have to keep me updated and tell me what’s going on! Jesus, she could be my Aunt Becky one day!”If the blonde were drinking, she would have either choked or spit the liquid all over the table. This girl sure as hell didn’t act twelve. 

“Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, darling,” Charlotte said nervously. She held the phone away from Jenna as she typed. 

Charlotte: Depends. Do you always make girls wait this long to hear from you?  
7:16am

As soon as she sent it, the smile was wiped from her face when the phone was snatched out of her hand. 

“Jenna!” Charlotte shouted, a deadly glare crossing her features. “I swear to god if you don’t give me that phone back in the next three seconds, I’ll tell Michael Armstrong you’re in love with him and want to marry him as soon as possible.” 

Jenna’s smile faded from her face as she tossed the phone back at her aunt and crossed her arms angrily. “Too late, I already read it. You’re a horrible flirt.” Jenna turned her nose up, looking out the kitchen window. “And if you tell Michael that...I’ll never talk to you again.” She huffed out a breath of air and pursed her lips. 

“Yeah, okay squirt,” Charlotte responded, giving Jenna a look to finish up her food. The brunette shoved her half eaten sandwich away and stood from her chair, arms still folded. Sighing, Charlotte spoke again. “Don’t be like that. What if I said you could meet her, huh? Will that get you to stop trying to read my texts?” 

Jenna looked at her for a moment before picking up her backpack. “Maybe,” she said after a moment. She still had that look on her face as she spoke, still angry that her aunt would threaten her like that. She hated Michael and his stupid face. 

“Get to school, kid,” Charlotte said. She turned back to her phone just as it buzzed again. 

Becky: In what context are we talking about here? Are you not jumping out of your seat with excitement to hear from me?  
7:20am

Charlotte: How did you even know I was awake?   
7:21am

Becky: Ignored my questions, I see how it is ;) You have your niece with you. Doesn’t the girl go to school?  
7:22am

“I’m leaving,” Jenna said, breaking Charlotte’s attention away from her phone. She set it down and stood to walk her to the door as the bus pulled up. “Have fun with your girlfriend,” she added with a smirk, slipping out the door. 

“Have fun with Michael!” Charlotte shouted, watching as Jenna clenched her fists at her sides as she approached the bus. It was really fun messing with her sometimes. 

Charlotte: She does. Nice detective work there, Sherlock. What are you doing up, rockstar?  
7:25am

Becky: Couldn’t sleep. I’m actually here at home for once and wanted to see if you would be willing to grab a bite this morning?  
7:26am

Reading the text, Charlotte suddenly felt really nervous. She wasn’t dressed, not that she thought Becky would mind very much, and she was exhausted. But then again, she hadn’t seen the woman in three days and she really didn’t want to turn down her offer. Becky had a tight schedule and if she wanted to see the woman at all, she’d take whatever was offered to her. 

Charlotte: Depends. Are you going to dump me right after breakfast or is there still more Becky Time?  
7:28am

She felt stupid as soon as she sent it. Three days ago, she was adamant on not being interested in the woman because of who she was and how she chose to spend her free time, but here she was practically begging for more time with her. 

Becky: Didn’t know you wanted to spend more time with me. I actually didn’t even thing you would consider seeing me again. If you want to do something after breakfast, I’m free today so I’ll take you wherever you want.   
7:30am

Charlotte: Wherever I want? Sounds like a deal.  
7:31am

Becky: Text me your address again and I’ll be there at 9?  
7:32am

She had better start getting ready if she was really going to do this. She was psyching herself up for nothing. It was just breakfast and hanging out afterwards. Nothing more. At least that’s what she tried to keep telling herself. 

XXXXXX

The teacher that had told Becky that she would never amount to anything couldn’t have been further from the truth. It was clear after Charlotte had learned that the Irish native used to be a street fighter with a member of her group, Paige. How she didn’t know this before or had never heard Becky’s name before she became the lead singer of Straight Fire, she would never know. 

Charlotte had tried her best to stay clear of mentioning that she happened to be a part of Dean’s gang. She didn’t want Becky to think of her as another one of the thugs off the streets, like the ones she struggled to survive against back in Dublin. Becky moved across the world to get away from people like that. It would really suck for her if she found out that the woman she was talking to happened to be in a gang. But she wasn’t able to steer clear of it for long. 

“So,” Becky started, trying to keep her tone light. They had been at a local coffee shop for about half an hour now and had yet to talk about Charlotte. “Are you a part of Dean’s…” the orange haired woman paused to find the right words. “Group?” She took a bite of her sandwich, hoping it would shut her up for the time being. She watched Charlotte fidget in her seat for a moment before answering. 

“I’m not a thug and I don’t hurt people,” Charlotte immediately went on the defense. She took a deep breath and set down her fork. Looking around to make sure no one happened to be listening in on their conversation, the blonde leaned forward a bit when she spoke. 

Becky chuckled. “I never said you were.” She leaned back in her chair some, eyebrow raised and ready to hear the rest. 

“Dean’s group is more of family then a gang,” Charlotte began, sighing. “Really aren’t into the whole selling drugs to kids or getting them involved in the lifestyle.” She smiled some, trying to make herself feel better. “But yes, we do have some things that are illegal.” 

“So let me get this straight,” Becky said after a moment’s pause. She trailed a finger around the edge of her coffee cup, staring at the dark liquid inside. “On the outside, you’re like this fucking sweet goddess, but in reality you sell killing machines to people like a man selling ice cream?” 

“No, we do extensive research on the people we sell to.” Charlotte cleared her throat, pausing before she spoke. “Dean makes sure of that.”

Becky stared at the woman across from her for a moment wondering how someone like this was practically living a double life. “Do you own any guns?” 

“Well,” Charlotte started, becoming even more nervous. She really didn’t want to tell Becky all of this, but she also didn’t want to lie. “I own four. That’s it. I don’t use them, I have never used them, and I don’t plan on using them unless someone breaks my heart. Then the person needs to be worried.” 

Becky practically choke on her sandwich, coughing as she set it down. “Well then,” the orange haired woman coughed some more. “I feel sorry for that person.”

Eying the Irish woman, Charlotte gazed at her through her lashes. She bent forward, tapping the edge of the table. “Benelli M2 Semi-Automatic Shotgun, AK-47, and a simple handgun. Which would you prefer?” 

“So I’m going to be the heartbreaker, huh?” Becky asked, crossing her arms and letting a grin cover her face. “Should I just start heading for the hills now?” 

Charlotte felt the heat rise on her cheeks as she bit her lip and sank back into the chair. “I didn’t say that. You’re not even my type.” That stung. 

“Really?” Becky asked, ignoring the stab she felt in her chest. “What’s your type then? Tall, dark, and penis?” 

Charlotte couldn’t help but laugh. “No,” the blonde shook her head as she answered Becky. “My type is the type that doesn’t fuck then dump. The type that actually wants a committed relationship.” 

“Who’s to say I don’t not want a committed relationship?” Becky questioned, trying not to confuse herself with her own question. This woman was good. 

“Who’s to say it was you?” Charlotte retorted, smirking some at the orange haired woman’s frustration. 

Becky let out an irritated huff, crossing her arms in defense. “God you’re difficult,” 

Charlotte chuckled as her smirk widened. “Oh, but you like it.” She winked at the Irish woman. “Don’t you?” 

“I don’t understand you,” Becky said, looking directly at the blonde. “You say you aren’t into me and I’m trying to respect that, but I’m pretty sure you’re flirting with me right now. Which one is it? Like Becky or not?” 

The blonde stayed silent, her eyes never leaving Becky’s as she took a drink of her coffee. “I like Becky. That doesn’t mean I have to give in to her and become another tally mark on her bed post.” 

“Look, I’ve made it very clear that I like you.” Becky took a deep breath after the words left her mouth. “And I wouldn’t do anything that made you uncomfortable. I like you, Ashley. I like you a lot.” The orange haired woman smiled weakly. “A lot more than I should and honestly, it scares the hell out of me. Like, if this isn’t the face of a person who is being dead honest then I don’t know what is.” 

She had known this woman for three days, one if you’re really counting the time they actually spent together, but Charlotte actually believed her. “What do you want from me?” 

“Friendship? Maybe something more?” Becky sighed. “I don’t know. I just really don’t want to be away from you.” She felt really insecure after she admitted that fact. 

“You want a friendship?” Charlotte asked, looking slightly disbelieving. “Is this like a...courtship or something? What are you planning?” She may not have known everything about the younger woman, but it was easy to tell she had something else in her mind. 

“Oh my god, Charlotte,” Becky exhaled, slamming her hands down on the table. A few people looked, but turned away when they saw Charlotte looking back at them. “Be my friend! That’s all!” She leaned on her hands, staring Charlotte dead in the eyes. “And we will be friends until you say you want more...or I try to kiss you and you let me,” she added, shrugging her shoulders. “Believe me, I’m going to try and if you turn me down, then I’ll know you aren’t ready.” 

“What if I’m never ready?” Charlotte asked. She waved the waitress down, calling her over. 

“I’ll keep trying until you finally give in and trust me,” Becky said immediately. She handed the woman a twenty, giving Charlotte a look when she tried to pay. “You said you like me, it’s just clear you don’t trust me. I want you. I’m done with the hookups, I don’t need them and I’m willing to show you that.” 

“Three days and you’re willing to throw all that away?” She was skeptical now. Would Becky work that hard just to sleep with her?

“Yes, Charlotte,” Becky said, taking a deep breath. “I really am serious, it’s not about sleeping with you.” She sighed. “It’s about getting to know you.”

“Fine,” Charlotte answered. “You fuck up and you’re done.” 

Becky smiled brightly, not even caring that the blonde had just threatened her. Maybe she had a chance after all. 

XXXXXX

Becky hadn’t fucked up. Yet. After they had eaten, the duo spent the majority of the afternoon walking along the outskirts of Orlando just talking and walking into an occasional store they saw. Becky tried her best to avoid any fans for the time being. It wasn’t that she didn’t love them immensely, but she didn’t want to have to stop frequently while she was with Charlotte to sign some teenager’s shirt. Luckily, they only had to stop three times in the slotted time they were together. 

Paparazzi stayed away too, which Becky was extremely grateful for. Of course everyone knew she lived in Orlando and there was always at least a few cameras around somewhere, but she managed to slip by them today. She did see a few overzealous fans with cameras, but she tried to dired Charlotte away from them. 

The blonde was really cool about the whole thing. She didn’t seem to mind all that much and she even said how cute it was that some of her fans weren’t even born when the band was first put together. 

“Wanna go to the bar?” Becky suddenly asked, stopping in her tracks. By now, night was starting to fall and Charlotte had started complaining how her feet were hurting. They had walked around for hours and Becky really just wanted a drink. 

“Sure. If you want to literally spend all day with me,” Charlotte teased. “And by the way, don’t worry about Jenna, she went to my father’s after school,” the blonde added, raising a teasing eyebrow at the orange haired woman. 

“Oh my god, why didn’t you say anything?” Becky exclaimed, crossing her arms. “I’m not the best person with kids, I didn’t even think about if you had to go home to her.”

Laughing, Charlotte pulled Becky along to the direction of the bar. “It’s fine. I would have said something if I needed to go home. I was just teasing you.” 

“Teasing seems to be your specialty,” Becky responded, nudging Charlotte as she walked. 

“So I’ve been told.” The blonde looked straight ahead, a glint in her eyes as she grinned. 

“What’s your favorite color?” The question that Becky blurted out shocked her and she turned her head to the side to look at the younger woman. 

“Blue. You?” 

“Orange. Obviously.” 

Charlotte let out a loud laugh, throwing an arm around Becky. The younger woman tried not to let the small gesture get to her, but it was impossible for it not to. She smelled like a vanilla candle and her shirt was soft, laced with her unique smell. “Would’ve never guessed.” The teasing tone made the Irish woman smile. 

“Stop being adorable,” Becky said, pulling away. Charlotte grabbed her arm as they walked, still trying to keep contact. 

“Me? Adorable? No. Do you always wear those shirts?” Becky looked down at her shirt, confusion taking over. 

“Uh...do I wear shirts? Yeah, sorry to burst your bubble,” Becky responded, laughing at the blonde. “What’s wrong with my shirt?” The Irish woman was wearing a black sleeveless shirt, only the other one’s Charlotte had seen her in were a different color. 

“Nothing. I just think you like showing off those arms,” Charlotte said, smile written all over her features. 

Becky felt her cheeks heat up, embarrassment taking over. She cleared her throat and continued to walk. “Like I said, I fought a lot. Not my fault.” She held out her arms, smiling sarcastically. 

Charlotte eye’d the woman’s arms. “Well it certainly paid off.” When Becky beamed with pride, it caused Charlotte to chuckle with amusement. “Big time.”

Becky flexed her arms and shot Charlotte a wink. “Thank you.” As she spoke, she slyly linked her fingers through the blonde’s. She expected Charlotte to pull away or say something sarcastic, but the older woman just smiled, turning her head to look away shyly as she pulled their interlaced hands into her sweatjacket pocket. 

As they approached the bar in content silence, Becky chose not to comment on the fact that they had agreed on friends, but there they were holding hands for the last six blocks. The Irish woman slipped past the cop at the door, pulling the blonde along with her. 

“Party people in the house,” Becky announced, grin on her face as she walked over to the bar. “You guys miss me?”

Paige, Nikki, Brie, and Emerson stayed silent, not even looking at the orange haired woman even though they were all fighting the smiles on their faces. Becky heard Charlotte snort beside her and elbowed her in the side. 

“Assholes,” she muttered, letting her arms fall down to her side. She took the drink next to her, not even caring whose it was or what it was. 

“Hey!” Dean yelled out. “That was mine!”

“Not anymore, cupcake,” Becky shot back, smirking. She glared at Paige who finally looked up and smiled brightly at her. 

“Look here, pumpkin,” Dean began, his blue eyes narrowed. 

“Did he just call me pumpkin?” Becky asked, looking at Charlotte. The blonde just rolled her eyes, slapping Dean on the back. Seth sniggered at the blonde’s action, amused at the way Dean looked when he was shocked.

“Now, now, children,” Emerson said, walking from behind the bar to wrap her arms around Dean. “Let’s all get along.” The shaggy haired man’s retort was cut off when Emerson pressed a kiss to his cheek. Seth grinned and looped his arm around the redhead waist. 

“What do you want to drink?” Becky asked the older woman to her left who had just taken a seat. 

“Oh no, I’m good,” Charlotte said, looking at the orange haired woman through her lashes. She rested her chin in her hands, leaning against the counter as she gazed at Becky. The Irish woman looked at her sideways, trying to figure out how she always looked that way. 

Suddenly, Paige’s body tensing caught Emerson’s attention. “You okay?” As soon as the question left the younger woman’s mouth, a tall man wearing all leather squeezed himself between Becky and Dean, forcefully setting his hands down on the counter.

When Dean snapped his head up, Charlotte immediately stood from her stool, pulling Becky back away with her. 

“What..?” the Irish woman asked, stumbling back. “What the hell is going on?” She looked at the blonde, confusion taking over. 

Charlotte’s eyes were wide as she stared at the man, grabbing Becky’s hand in the process. “That’s Hunter.” 

“Ew, what kind of name is that?” Becky asked, disgusted look on her face. She shrugged Charlotte off, walking over to the man and tapping his shoulder. 

“Becky…” 

“Dean and I were sitting there,” Becky said, crossing her arms as she stared down at the man. Hunter snorted, looking the Irish woman up and down as if she were a joke. 

“Not anymore,” he said, smirking some. “Move along now, child.” As he spoke his eyes wandered over to Dean, they lingered longer than they should have when he looked at Emerson. When Becky didn’t move, but only stood there with a look of disbelief on her face, the man referenced her as he spoke, his eyes on the curly haired redhead. “That’s a real woman right there,” he said, pointing towards Emerson. “Take some tips, short stack.” 

Becky’s jaw dropped and it would have been funny if the situation weren’t so bizarre. “What the fuck?”

Hearing this, Dean finally stood, keeping Emerson behind himself and Seth. “And you keep looking at her and I’ll make sure you never walk again, Hemsley.” The Ohio native’s eyes narrowed into a glare. “So beat it, this is our turf.” 

By now, Becky had backed off when Charlotte pulled her back onto a stool further away from the scene. The blonde wrapped her arms around Becky’s waist, pulling her into her lap. “Are you fucking crazy?” she seethed into the Irish woman’s ear. “If I freak out, you freak out. Don’t ever mess with that man, he won’t hesitate to put a bullet in you.” 

Realizing the severity of the situation, Becky bit back her original reply and instead looked down at the blonde’s arms. “You know, usually, this is the other way around. So get up.” 

“Did you not hear a word I just said?” Charlotte asked, pushing Becky off her lap.   
“Ye-” Her reply was cut short when the man of topic raised his voice. 

“Oh that’s cute, Ambrose,” Hunter said, his tone mocking. “Trying to be intimidating and all for what? Your little puppy and your new whore?” 

“Excuse you?” Emerson said, moving from behind Dean and Seth. “Want to repeat that again?” She crossed her arms across her chest. “Because I will gladly put you on your ass.” The curly redhead made a ‘get on with it’ hand motion. “So please, say it again. I would love to punch you in your throat.”

Becky practically fell over trying to contain her laughter. She could tell this was not the time to make jokes. She felt her response dying on her lips as Dean growled. Dean couldn’t help but snarl loudly as Hunter moved closer to Emerson. 

“One more step and you’re dead,” Dean gritted out, eye’s blazing. “I don’t care if I have witnesses, I will rip your throat out with my teeth and I’ll smile at your wife and whores while doing it.”   
“That’s enough,” Paige cut in, annoyance clear in her tone. “You wanna drink? Fine. But I’ll be damned if you guys are starting shit in my bar.” She narrowed her eyes. “Take it outside.” 

Hunter casually looked at Paige, not even seeming bothered by her. “You don’t run anything, pup.” 

“Well, look here,” Chris said, approaching the scene . “If it isn’t a jackass.” Emerson snorted out a laugh, amused at the jibe. 

“Out of my bar, or all of you leave,” Paige interjected again, pointing towards the door. “Now.” 

Becky slapped her forehead out of frustration, scrunching up her nose. She wasn’t going to let this big ape get them all thrown out. “Seriously, just leave. You may look all big and tough, but I promise you your little play toys are nothing compared to the hell of being a street fighter. Don’t make me hurt you.” 

Hunter snorted yet again, but stood, slamming the stolen drink down on the table. “Are you talking about this, sweetheart?” The tall man asked, pulling a handgun from his side and holding it out like it was nothing. Becky’s eyes widened and she put up her hands as if she hadn’t just talked a big game and then backed down. “I would be careful if I were you next time.” 

Hunter smiled, twirling the gun around in his hand as he bumped against Dean, but didn’t get very far. Emerson surprised the group when she reached into Dean’s leather jacket and pulled out his handgun. 

“Funny how the gun game goes both ways,” Emerson murmured, smirking some through her nerves. “And you know as well as I that the safety of this gun is off and sometimes handguns can be trigger sensitive.” She held the gun out, aiming it in Hunter’s direction. “Wanna see if this one is?” 

“Oh my god,” Paige said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She threw down her towel, hopped over the bar, and twisted her hands in the back of Hunter’s jacket. “Come on, out you go.” He jerked her hands off of him, giving her a look before passing Dean again and trying his best to ignore the gun still being pointed at him. 

“Don’t forget to tell your little girlfriend here that you’re the real bitch in the relationship,” Hunter muttered loud enough for Emerson to hear. “Bark, bark.” He snapped his teeth at Dean, shoulder checking Seth on the way out. 

“The hell?” Emerson questioned, handing Dean back his gun as if it were nothing. “The fuck did that mean?” 

Becky finally put her arms down, slowly turning her head to look at Charlotte who looked as if she had the biggest headache in the world. 

“You don’t use guns, huh?” 

Charlotte swore her head exploded.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: 

“I’m sorry, I really can’t answer any of your questions,” Becky practically yelled, pushing past a bunch of people snapping pictures and shouting questions at her. Seven days later and half of the world knew that Charlotte existed. This was the moment she had dreaded, but she knew it would come eventually. Actually, it held off for much longer than she had anticipated, which she was grateful for, but now it was full force. It was unavoidable and now, it was finally happening. 

“You heard the lass,” Finn barked out behind Becky. “Best be getting your move on.” 

“What’s the matter, Finn, what are you worried about? Are the rumors true? Are you jealous?” The man who spoke was right in Becky’s way and she resisted the urge to just lay him out on the concrete in front of everyone. It definitely wouldn’t be good for her image. 

All she really wanted to do was get back to the bus, which was literally less than ten feet away, but Straight Fire had just come from their first interview since their vacation had started and paparazzi couldn’t miss the opportunity. 

“That’s none of your concern,” Sasha cut in, walking next to Finn. “Now, would you’d please move? You’re blocking our way.” Their bodyguards were shit. All four of them combined were better than the ones they had right now. 

“Come on, just answer some. I have a job to do here,” the sandy haired man pleaded, snapping a few more photos. “You have a reputation, Becks, is the hot blonde your new fling?” 

“Move,” Becky shot out, pulling her hat down over her face to try and block the flashing lights. “Seriously dude, I know you have a job, but you don’t have to be such an asshole.” Becky was trying not to let the questions get to her and she was actually doing a pretty good job of keeping her temper under control. 

“Aye, you heard her,” the voice of Enzo, one of their two most trusted managers said. “Move or I’ll sue your ass so fast your head’s gonna spin.” The blonde’s style was just as eccentric as he was. If the situation wasn’t so annoying, Becky would’ve laughed at the obnoxious purple cheetah print suit the short man had on. “Or do I have to get my partner to deal with you? They don’t call him Big Cass for nothin’.”At the mention of the seven foot man sent most of the onlookers scrambling. 

Breathing a sigh of relief, Becky scrambled onto the bus and waited for the rest to get on before she slammed the door. She turned around and ran a hand through her hair before sliding down against the door in exasperation. 

“Do I have to ask?” Enzo questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Is this blonde chick the latest fling? And don’t you dare lie to me either.” He sat down in a chair, hoping that he would get the truth from her. 

Becky sighed. “She’s not a fling.” The orange haired woman’s tone was sincere as she spoke. “She’s different, it’s different.” Becky smiled as she thought about Charlotte. “Besides, she’s just a friend anyway.” 

“Can you stop listening?” Enzo asked suddenly, turning around to face the group who had instantly scrambled away when Enzo referenced them. “Geez. Becky, you don’t have friends. Your bandmates are friends and any other people are hookups. Do not damage your reputation even more and make me clean up the mess.” 

“I’m not going to make a mess,” Becky snapped, annoyance in her tone. “Do you really think I would have her stick around and wait for this shit to happen just to fuck her? There’s no way in hell I’d ever chase after someone this long just for a lay. She’s different boss man, really special ya know?” 

Enzo sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “Must be, Bex’s.” The tone the blonde man was using was light. “Does she fully understand the life you live?” 

“She’s my friend, Enzo,” Becky reiterated. “The day that anything happens or something changes, I’ll let you know. And yes, she understands.” 

Enzo nodded and stood. “So long as you’ve thought things through, kid.” 

“Do-”

The Irish woman’s response was cut off when her phone started ringing loudly, causing her to jump where she sat. Looking at Enzo, Becky flipped the phone around so he could see the caller ID. He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms where he stood. Speaking of said friend. 

"Please, please, please, tell me you’re in Florida."

The blonde’s voice sounded desperate and very out of character which immediately set warning bells off in Becky’s head. 

“I just finished up with a radio interview in Jacksonville, what’s wrong?” Becky asked, standing. She felt her heart pounding and she could practically hear it in her ears. 

"My father. He’s in the hospital and Jenna is here and I don’t know what to do. If you can’t make it I can call Emerson, but I don’t think she’d come considering she’s fighting with Dean and Seth. You’re the first person I thought of, I don’t know why, but I really need you right now and I-"

“Charlotte,” Becky said, cutting off the frantic blonde. She looked at Enzo, motioning for him to go. “I promise you I’ll be there, okay? Can you give me at least an hour? I can still talk to you, but I need time to get there.” 

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Thank you so much." 

Charlotte sounded like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders after talking to the orange haired woman. 

“I don’t think it’s wise to ask questions right now, so I’m not going to,” Becky said after a moment, settling into the chair Enzo had previously occupied. “Where do I meet you?” 

"Florida Hospital Orlando. And that was a question, by the way." 

Becky didn’t even care that she sounded dumb. She was just happy that the blonde seemed to be okay for the time being. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’ll see you there, Charlotte.”

Even with the current situation, Becky still found herself smiling from ear to ear. 

XXXXXX

She didn’t even see Charlotte before she felt her. The body that crashed into her felt worn and exhausted, something that scared the Irish woman a little. Nonetheless, she let the older woman wrap her arms around her tightly and reciprocated the hug until she felt she couldn’t breath. 

“Jesus,” Becky shuddered, gripping the back of the blonde’s shirt as she led her to a hospital chair in the far corner of the room. She didn’t see Jenna anywhere. It wasn’t like she would recognize her anyway, but still. 

“Heart attack. I told him he needed to stop acting like he’s still 20,” Charlotte muttered into Becky’s shoulder, trying to stop the tears from falling. 

“Where’s Jenna?” Becky asked, running her fingers through the blonde’s hair. She leaned her head down some to try and look at the older woman. 

“Uh, Emerson offered to take her,” Charlotte murmured. “Something about ice cream and Just Dance, something on the Wii.” She felt Becky smile against her head and her tears suddenly slowed, but didn’t stop completely. Her tears weren’t the only thing falling. 

“Looks like the universe doesn’t want me to meet the girl,” Becky said, earning a small laugh from Charlotte. “He’ll be okay, yeah? I promise.” As the tears kept falling, Charlotte buried her head further into the orange haired woman’s shirt, embarrassed that she was even crying in the first place. 

That’s when Becky saw the man sitting across from them with his phone in his lap, casually holding it at a slant. Fucking shit. At that moment, Becky hated her choice of profession. She met the man’s eye and gave him a look before he started to stand. 

“Hey, I’ll be right back, okay?” Becky muttered, stroking the blonde’s hair lightly. “I’m just going to use the bathroom really quick, I’ll be back before you even sit up.” Charlotte lifted her head and wiped her eyes, nodding. 

Casually walking after the man, who stupidly tried to escape through a side door, the Irish woman blocked his path and knocked the cell phone out of his hand. 

“Look, I’m sorry okay? You’re one of the biggest stars of today and this would make a lot of money,” the man tried to explain, only making it worse for himself. 

“Pick it up and delete it,” she practically seethed, pointing towards the phone. “If you put that out there, you will ruin that woman’s life. Jesus, do you not have any morals?” 

The man’s grey hoodie slipped off his shoulders some as he slouched against the wall. Taking the opportunity, Becky snatched him by his jacket, forcing him to bend over to retrieve the cell phone. 

“Okay, okay! I’m deleting it,” the man yelled, only to be yanked back up and pulled against the orange haired woman. He tried to avoid her gaze, but she was so close and oh so intimidating. 

“Shut it,” Becky said just loud enough for the two to hear. “Delete it and get on with your life. When we’re done here, I never want to see you again and I pray that for your sake you don’t try something like this ever again.” 

The man nodded, shuffling through the phone before turning it around to show her that he had deleted it. When the Irish woman saw the confirmation, she glared at the man before shoving him away. 

“Go. Now.” One more look and a harsh tone was all it took to send the man sprinting out of the door he previously tried to go through. Sometimes, she really hated her profession. 

Smiling at a nurse that went by, Becky put her hands in her pockets trying to regain her composure before she went back to Charlotte. When she did go back, she saw the blonde in a seemingly deep conversation with a doctor. The look on her face set the Ireland native’s mind at rest a bit more and she didn’t pause again as she approached. 

“What’s the news, doc?” Becky asked, coming to stand behind the slightly taller woman dressed in a clean, white coat. 

“He’s fine,” both the doctor and Charlotte said at the same time, relief present in both of their tones. 

When the young doctor turned around, she saw who it was she was talking to and practically fainted. “Uh…” Becky’s smile faded from her face a bit as she stared at the woman. Really now? A doctor? 

“Yes, I’m Becky Lynch, lead singer of the hottest band on the plant, Straight Fire, extremely good looking, and not exactly single, but still kinda am. Long story,” Becky rambled as if she had done this millions of times. “What’s up with her dad?” 

The doctor stared for a moment, shaking her head to get the dumbfounded look off of her face. “He’s going to be just fine. We’ll keep him overnight, see how he’s doing tomorrow, and if he does well tomorrow we’ll send him home.” Charlotte sincerely smiled for the first time that day and looked at Becky. As soon as she did, the orange haired woman returned the smile and opened her arms for the blonde to hug her. 

“See?” Becky asked, squeezing the blonde tightly. “I told you so.” She felt Charlotte let out a shuttering laugh and press a light kiss to her cheek which caused her stomach to twist in knots. Becky tried her hardest not to blush, but knew she failed as she felt her cheeks heating up. 

Pulling away, the Irish woman backed away some and shoved her hands down into her pockets. “When can she see him?” she asked, trying to avoid Charlotte’s gaze as she questioned the doctor. 

“You can see him now if you’d like, but he’s kind of out of it due to the medication we’ve given him,” the doctor answered, smiling some. “But unfortunately it would only be for a few minutes because he needs his rest.”

“Go ahead,” Becky said, motioning towards the door. “I’ll be right here when you get back.” Charlotte looked at her for a moment before looking back to the doctor. 

“One person at a time or can she come?” Charlotte asked, a hopeful tone making it’s way into her voice. 

“Two at a time is fine, yes,” the doctor answered, nodding. “But remember, only for a few minutes. And you’re welcome by the way, the rule really is one at a time, but I’m making an exception.”

Charlotte smiled thankfully and nodded, linking her hand through Becky’s as they followed the doctor. Inside, the Irish native was freaking out. She really wasn’t the best with parents, even if they were sick ones in the hospital, and she just hoped that she didn’t say anything to fuck things up. 

“Are you sure you want me to go in there?” Becky asked, stopping Charlotte in her tracks right before they entered the room. The blonde nodded to the doctor when she held up a hand signalling that they had five minutes, before looking at Becky with confusion. 

“Yes, Becky, relax,” Charlotte reassured, holding their linked hands up. “It’s not like you’re signing your life away. My father is actually a big fan, even if he won’t admit it.”

Becky chuckled, feeling slightly more at ease. “I could get the guys to help me put together a care package if you want.” When Charlotte’s face lit up in a pretty smile the Irish native knew she had said the right thing. “Wouldn’t be a problem.” 

“I think that would be very sweet,” Charlotte responded, nodding some. “And I’m sure my dad would appreciate it. He like’s getting as much attention as he can.”

Becky chuckled, shifting so that Charlotte would be the first in the room to see her father. As the blonde entered, her eyes immediately fell onto her father. “Oh my god, you’re such a fucking asshole,” Charlotte practically whined, wrapping her father in a gentle hug. 

The blonde haired man laughed and hugged his daughter back. “I need to keep you on your toes somehow,” he muttered, patting her on the back. “And watch your language, I’m an old man here.” 

Becky snorted from the doorway where she stood with her arms crossed, trying not to be awkward. When she laughed, she saw Charlotte’s father turn his head and smile brightly at her. Shit. 

“No way,” he said, clapping his hands together excitedly. “Where the hell did you find her?” he asked, turning to look at his daughter. 

“Uh, dad, this is my friend Becky. Becky this is my dad, Ric,” Charlotte introduced, amused at her father. “And watch your language old man.” 

“Oh I know who she is,” Ric said, ignoring his daughter’s comment. “Come here, rockstar!” Becky wanted to curl into a ball and hide, embarrassment taking over. She hadn’t even really realized that he was talking to her, but when Charlotte shot her a look, she moved quickly. 

When she went to reach out her hand for the man to shake, he took her offered hand and tugged her into him successfully trapping her in a hug. The Irish woman stiffened for a moment, not being used to these kinds of friendly reactions before she gave a light squeeze back. 

“She’s a lot more tense than I thought she would be,” Ric said, talking to Charlotte. Becky pursed her lips, chuckling nervously when she stood back up. 

“Dad!” Charlotte scolded, shaking her head at her father. “Becky, don’t listen to him. He’s just fooling around, that’s all.”

“So that’s where you get it from,” Becky teased, slowly starting to feel more comfortable. “Must run in the family.”

“She’s funny too, when’s the wedding?” Ric asked, his teasing on par as he kept the smile from his face. 

“Whenever she wants it to be,” Becky shot back, loving the shocked look on Charlotte’s face. It was nice to being the one on the end of the teasing for a change. “I’m all for it.” 

“How did you even manage to get her to hang out with you? Isn’t she like a really busy person? What are the chances of someone dating a rockstar,” Ric rambled, not being able to get all of his questions out at once. Charlotte’s face reddened, rolling her eyes at her father. 

“Did you completely miss the part where I said ‘Dad, this is my friend Becky’,” the blonde woman said, narrowing her eyes. She swore her father had selective hearing, he only heard what he wanted to and made shit up the rest of the time. 

Becky stifled a laugh as Ric rolled his eyes. It became even more amusing when the two started to playfully argue, trying to keep their voices down even when the orange haired woman could hear them plain as day. 

“You know I can hear you, yeah?” Becky asked after a moment, watching the two argue. Ric shot his head up to look at the Irish woman and then back at his daughter before shoving her away. 

Charlotte groaned, sitting down on the end of his hospital bed. “I see you’re feeling much better,” she mumbled, rubbing her temples with her fingers. 

It was then that the doctor came back in much too soon to inform the two women they had to leave for the night. As Becky hugged Ric one last time, deciding she would be the one to instigate the contact this time, the old man smiled some. That was the reaction she had been hoping for. 

“I expect you to come see me when I’m out of this hell hole, understand?” As soon as the words left Ric’s mouth Becky nodded, knowing that she didn’t intended to go anywhere anytime soon. 

“Of course,” the orange haired woman said, grinning. “Tell me the time and the place and I’ll be there.” 

“She’s a keeper,” Ric shouted after his daughter, missing the look on her face as her mouth dropped and she struggled to keep walking. 

“Becky, I’m really so-” 

“It’s okay, Charlotte, really,” Becky said, cutting the blonde off. “It’s actually really cute. But if it were anybody else, I may have freaked out and headed for the hills.” The teasing tone in the orange haired woman’s voice made her shoulders relax some. 

Charlotte didn’t even have time to respond before the chilly air hit her like a brick wall when they walked outside. She instantly stood frozen, trying to decide if she wanted to go back inside or not. This was Florida, not Alaska. But then again, it was nearing the end of summer and the sky had darkened significantly since the time she arrived here. 

“What, are you cold?” Becky asked, a teasing tone in her voice. She stood in the corner of a hospital exit next to the main entrance, pulling out her cell phone. “Should have wore a jacket.” 

Charlotte followed her, eyes widening in disbelief. “Says the woman that wore a sleeveless jacket. Like, what’s the point?” 

Dialing Finn’s number, Becky looked at the blonde haired woman as she held the phone up to her ear. “Touche.” Charlotte just rolled her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself to try and preserve at least a little body heat. 

“Why did we not bring our cars?” Becky asked after she hung up with Finn. She didn’t even need to say much to the man, just where they were. “He’ll be here in ten.” 

“Because I was already in the area, on foot might I add, and you’re just not that smart so I can’t explain it for you,” Charlotte teased, leaning her head back against the brick wall. Becky just glared at her out of the corner of her eye, watching the woman shiver from where she stood. 

“I’m going to ignore that,” the Irish woman said, seemingly not even affected by the cool breeze. Sighing, Becky sat down in the corner and leaned back against the wall. She unzipped her “jacket” and opened the lapels, smiling at the blonde woman who finally turned back to see where the Irish woman had went. “You know we can wait inside, right?” 

Charlotte worried her bottom lip between her teeth, turning to look back at the street. Her body may not have been warm, but her face surely was. 

“I don’t think you want to go inside,” Becky commented, not being able to help her smile. “Come here, last chance.” The warning in the orange haired woman’s tone made another shiver ripple through her as she looked back again, hesitation clearly present. 

As Becky started to zip her jacket back up she saw the blonde move out of the corner of her eye and stopped fixing the jacket. She heard the woman grunt when she sat down and went to say something smart, but closed her mouth went Charlotte shot her a glare. 

“Don’t say a word,” the older woman said, speaking through her teeth as she felt her back hit the Irish woman’s front. She felt the warmth wash over her as soon as Becky’s arms wrapped themselves around her and she didn’t have the guts to turn around to see the look on her face. If she had to admit it, she wouldn’t. She really was hoping that Becky would offer to help instead of going back inside. It was just another excuse to touch the woman that she didn’t have if they had gone back inside. 

“Look at me,” Becky said, ignoring Charlotte’s request. Her tone was soft, no teasing present anymore. The blonde knew she shouldn’t, but she turned her head and tried to lean her face as far away from the orange haired woman’s as possible, but their faces were still too close. 

“I don’t like it when you cry,” Becky said, closing her mouth immediately after she said it. “Please don’t do it again.” If Becky didn’t look so sad, Charlotte would have laughed at the statement. 

“How do you suggest I stop myself from crying?” Charlotte asked, trying to keep the amusement from her tone. 

“I don’t know, you’re Charlotte, figure it out,” Becky shot back, letting her head fall against the brick wall. Trying to relax her body, the blonde laughed a little before leaning back and resting her head on the Irish woman’s shoulder. “Think of kittens and puppies and rainbows, anything really.” The orange haired woman sighed. “Anything to keep you from crying, yeah? You’re too pretty to cry.” 

Charlotte smiled, tilting her head up a little. “Are you saying I’m an ugly crier?” 

Becky shot her head down, their noses almost bumping. “Not at all.” The Irish woman grinned. “A pretty woman like you shouldn’t be crying at all.”

“Okay, then the same goes for you,” Charlotte responded, picking at the bottom of Becky’s shirt like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

“I didn’t cry,” Becky said, raising an eyebrow. “I might though, depending on how much longer you keep friendzoning me.” 

“You know,” Charlotte started, leaning impossibly closer. “Your eyeliner is killer. You should teach me how to do it one day.” 

“Are you deflecting?” Becky asked, making Charlotte look at her after she had turned her head away. “And here I thought we had a good thing going.” 

Before Charlotte could respond, Finn pulled up, shit eating grin on his face. “Stop sucking face, get in the car.” 

“Oh suck it,” Becky snarked back, snarked back, not even bothering to move away from Charlotte. “You’re such an asshole.” 

“Come on, he’s waiting,” Charlotte said, trying to move away. When Becky didn’t let her go, she turned around ready to glare at the younger woman, but stopped once she saw the look on her face. 

“Wait,” Becky said, ignoring Finn who started to lay on the horn. “I’m afraid if I let you go it’ll be the last time I get to do something like this.” She was going to kill that Irish fucker. “Nevermind, just go. Come on,” she said, starting to seriously become agitated with her bandmate. 

She didn’t shove the blonde away harshly, but she did push force into moving her. “Becky-”

“Come on so he’ll shut the fuck up,” the Irish woman said, brushing past the blonde said woman as she zipped up her jacket. Charlotte stood baffled for a moment before sliding into the open passenger seat door, trying to meet Becky’s eyes, but she avoided her gaze like the plague. 

When Becky slipped into the car, she smacked Finn on the back of the head. “Well, come on asshole,” she snapped, tone annoyed. “Drive.”

Finn flinched, making some kind of weird noise before putting the car in drive. “You don’t have to be so rude, you know.” He looked at his bandmate through the rearview mirror. “A thank you would be good.” 

“Thank you,” Becky gritted her teeth as she spoke. She wasn’t able to say anything else before she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She looked up to the front seat to see Charlotte twisting her phone in her hand casually. 

Charlotte: I promise it won’t be the last time.  
8:58pm. 

Becky looked up, smile on her face. The bad mood been feeling slowly dissipated. Maybe things weren’t so bad after all. They may not be more than friends, but Becky could handle that for the time being and she’d continue to handle it, so long as it kept Charlotte by her side and in her life.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Studio time and a lot of feels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song used is called Never Lose Your Flames by Issues, so credit goes to them! Enjoy xo

“We’re in the studio tonight, you should come,” Becky said, sitting down beside Charlotte who had sat herself down on the Irish woman’s front steps. Charlotte had been there for almost half an hour, but had refused to go inside. 

“I feel like I would be overstaying my welcome,” the blonde murmured, looking at Becky as she stretched her legs. “Besides, wouldn’t that be kind of invasive?” When the orange haired woman laughed at Charlotte’s question the blonde nudged her some. “I’m serious!”

“You would be the only person in the world to ask that question,” Becky teased, rolling her eyes. “It took me almost a month to get you to even come here and you won’t even go inside. You’re definitely not overstepping. If anything, you’re under...stepping,” the Irish woman mumbled, trailing off. She shook her head at how stupid she always sounded. 

“Is that even a word?” Charlotte asked, twirling her keys around in her hand. 

Becky shrugged, laughing. “It is now.” When the Irish native sent her a grin Charlotte couldn’t help but grin back. “Why won’t you just come inside? I promise you won’t break anything,” Becky added, trying to put the blonde’s mind at ease. When Charlotte didn’t say anything, the orange haired woman grabbed her around her waist. “Please? Don’t make me drag you in there. It won’t look right.” 

When Becky pushed their foreheads together playfully, Charlotte felt her breath catch in her throat. She quickly turned her head to the side and shrugged the Irish woman’s arms off of her as she stood. 

“Fine,” she said, motioning towards the door. “Come on.” 

Becky leaned back for a second before scrambling to her feet. “I do have to warn you though, my cat is ferocious,” Becky said, unlocking the door. Before Charlotte even had time to respond, the blonde instantly saw what she was talking about. 

A huge, white cat that looked as if it weighed 20 pounds was standing at the door jumping excitedly like it was a dog. “Chunky! My baby!” Becky screeched, bending down to pick the cat up, who didn’t protest a bit. “Look! It’s my second baby!” The Irish woman added, pointing the cat towards Charlotte who rolled her eyes at the statement. 

“Jesus, what do you feed that thing?” The blonde asked, eyes wide as she pet the furry cat. 

“Food. And lots of it,” Becky responded, setting the cat down. “Come on, it’s tour time.”

As the Irish woman pulled her along, Charlotte couldn’t help the amazement that washed over her. This was probably the biggest house in Orlando and it was definitely the house of someone who should have been a rich, spoiled asshole, but instead quite the opposite personality lived here. 

The house was spotless. The walls were a clean white color, the plush carpet that occupied the bottom floor of the house was black, and the living room was full of shelves covered in books, CD’s, movies, and at least three different gaming systems. All of it looked untouched, like the Irish woman hadn’t ever lived here. 

“I know this all looks a bit much,” Becky started, interrupting the blonde’s lingering, fascinated gaze at the bottom floor of the house. “But I promise I’m not a rich, spoiled brat. Well, I’m rich, but I didn’t ask for all this. It just kinda...ended up here.” Becky rubbed the back of her neck nervously and bit her lip in an attempt to keep herself from talking too much. 

Charlotte held back her response, not even shocked that Becky had practically stolen the thoughts right from her head. “I don’t think any of those things. You’ve already proven me wrong. You’re not a typical celebrity.” 

The words made Becky’s heart clench and she tried to keep a smile from taking over. She was making progress. Charlotte was trusting her more. 

“Do you wanna see upstairs? It’s a lot more chill up there,” Becky said after a moment, pointing towards the stairs that twisted around the middle of the front room like a snake. 

Smiling, Charlotte dragged her eyes away from the stereo in the living room and took the hand offered to her. “I don’t know if I believe that,” she said, following the orange haired woman up the stairs. “I totally want to see Becky Lynch’s bedroom.” 

“I offered for you to see it a month ago…” Becky responded, trailing off as they turned a corner and the Irish woman could see her room from where they were standing at the top of the steps. 

“Okay, douchebag,” Charlotte said, pushing Becky to start walking towards her room. She smiled behind the orange haired woman’s back when she let out a snort. 

“Here we are,” Becky said, throwing open her bedroom door. It was big. Really big. 

“No way, where is your room really?” Charlotte said, disbelief taking over. She stepped inside, her jaw practically dropping when she saw the king sized bed covered in black sheets with an equally black comforter thrown atop. The walls were white much like the rest of the house and covered in portraits that looked to be snapshots of the forest. It was an odd combination, but it was obvious that Becky was the type of person you could analyze just by looking at their room. There were a plethora of guitars off in the corner and a mirror on the ceiling above the Irish woman’s bed. Of course she had to throw something in there that still made sure she lived up to the arrogant rockstar stereotype. 

“This is totally my room,” Becky muttered, nervously brushing past the blonde to pick up one of her guitars. It looked as if she had never used it, but by the way she started strumming the chords it was clear this wasn’t the first time she was using that one. 

“Becky,” Charlotte said, coming to sit next to the orange haired woman. She stopped strumming, looking up at the blonde through her lashes. “It’s beautiful. Seriously.” 

 

“How about that mirror, huh?” Becky asked playfully, pointing towards the ceiling. “Come on, I saw you admiring it. You totally like it.” 

“Arrogant shithead,” Charlotte muttered, gently taking the guitar from Becky incase the gesture wasn’t wanted and she was protective over her guitars. 

“That’s my middle name,” Becky joked, grin on her face. “Well actually my middle name is Anne, but still. You get the joke.” 

Charlotte laughed some, still admiring the guitar she had in her hands. She strummed a few strings, trying out the sound of it before looking at the orange haired woman. “Mine is Elizabeth.” She blushed some. “Now you pretty much know everything.” 

Looking at the slight embarrassment on Charlotte’s part, Becky shook her head. “No, I don’t think I know everything,” the orange haired woman said, smiling lightly. “You’re a book of mystery Ashley Fliehr.”

“Hey!” Charlotte yelled, pushing Becky away. 

“Does this mean I can kiss you now, Ashley?” Becky asked, holding Charlotte’s arm away, trying to protect herself. 

Charlotte’s face was bright red as she looked at the Irish woman. “You can, but I might punch you in the face.” 

As Becky took back her guitar, she thought for a moment before speaking. “Can I take that chance?” She really didn’t think Charlotte would punch her, you know, she had a face to protect and keep pretty for the media. She heard Charlotte sigh and saw her look down at her hands, nervously picking at her nails. 

“You really wouldn’t punch me, would you?” Becky joked. “At least not in the face, right?”  
“Oh, right in the face,” Charlotte shot back, unable to leave the amused grin off her face for long. “Right on the nose too.” Becky shot her hands up to cover her nose, making a face as if she were in pain. She could already feel the throbbing a punch to the nose would cause. 

“Oh, come on,” Becky said, her nose still covered. “I’m not that ugly, geez.” 

“I’m kidding,” Charlotte responded, once again taking the guitar from Becky’s lap. “If I hit you, that would be considered domestic violence because you’re taking me out on a date Friday night.” She could practically feel Becky’s eyes widen and her body explode with excitement. Bet she wasn’t expecting that one. 

“W-What?” Becky asked, stumbling over her own words. This was actually the first time since she had met the Irish woman that she heard her stutter. Usually, Becky was so smooth and quick to respond, but this was different. 

“I mean, unless you like being friendzoned everyday,” Charlotte said, still strumming the strings absentmindedly. “And I know you’re not busy Friday so…”

“No, no,” Becky shook her head so fast, it almost gave her whiplash. “I can’t wait, I-I just need to figure out where and what time.” 

Trying to hold in a laugh, Charlotte finally looked up to meet the orange haired woman’s eyes. “Don’t stress,” she said. “But I do like-” 

“Movies and beaches,” Becky interjected, causing Charlotte to purse her lips to stop herself from laughing. “What? I pay attention.” 

“Yes, but I was actually going to say sex. I like sex,” Charlotte said, trying to keep a straight face. Becky’s mouth dropped, not even knowing what to say. She finally settled on something really stupid. 

“No, no, no, okay, that’s fine. We can do that,” Becky said, shrugging with a wild and frantic look on her face. “Totally okay.” She laughed nervously like she had never heard the words before and she was some teenager that couldn’t stop herself from laughing at something inappropriate. 

Charlotte laughed. “I was joking.” She shook her head as she watched Becky freak out slightly. 

“What? About the sex or the date?” Becky asked, running her hands up and down her thighs. She really shouldn’t be this nervous. 

“The sex,” the blonde responded, smiling at Becky. “I would still like to go on a date with you.” 

Looking at the blonde, Becky froze as her eyes narrowed. “...so no sex then?” 

Charlotte grinned, shrugging. “Maybe, if you’re lucky and play your cards right.” She handed the guitar back and stood, stretching her arms. “But I doubt it. I don’t put out on the first date. No one is ever smooth enough to get me to do that.” 

Ignoring the blonde’s last statements, Becky smiled as she got to her feet as well. “I’ll figure out where to go, yeah? I’ll text you the details. And we’ll see about how smooth I can be.” 

“Good luck with that. Like I said, no one is that lucky,” Charlotte said, crossing her arms as she gazed at the orange haired woman who had yet to drop the smile from her face.

Becky took that as a challenge. 

XXXXXX

If you got the keys then start the car and

Drive as far as you can

If you got the blood then you got the heart to

Give yourself a chance

Charlotte couldn’t help but smile when she saw Becky gaze at her from across the room as she finished off her line. Almost three hours in the studio and the group had already come up with another song that was sure to be a hit right off the bat. It was almost unbelievable how quick and talented this band was. 

Seems like we've been so scarred

Some people call it art

I hope you make peace with your pain

And never lose your flames

As soon as Finn finished his part, Becky stuck her tongue out at him, but he just smiled. The group was also trying something new. This was the first song that Finn would have vocals on and it couldn’t have turned out better. The song was still being put together, but Enzo had made a wise decision to let the Irish man have a part. 

“Hold on,” Becky said before it was her turn to sing again. She took off her headset and pushed the mic away from her face before opening the door. “I want to try something.” She went over beside Enzo and pushed a few buttons before standing up straight, a devilish smile on her face. 

“What?” Finn asked, motioning with his hands. He wasn’t liking where this idea was going. 

“I want you to try unclean vocals,” Becky said, resting her head in the palm of her right hand. “I totally think you can do it. It’s different and would put a sweet touch to the song.” 

“Dude, I can’t do that,” Finn practically whinned, looking at his fellow Irish native like she was crazy. 

Stepping back inside the booth, Becky patted him on the back and smiled. “Yes. Yes, you can.” When Finn rolled his eyes, Becky looked to Sasha and Cesaro for help. “He can do it can’t he? Plus, if it doesn’t sound right then we can cut it. Easy.” 

“I’m all for it, I’d love to hear this,” Cesaro teased, strumming a few chords. 

“Okay, there we have it. Finn, do that verse again, but this time with unclean. Got it?” Becky was pretty much running things around here, not Enzo or anyone else on production. 

Sitting back in her chair, Charlotte watched Finn groan before starting up on the guitar. As soon as the Irishman started singing, she knew there was no way they were cutting that one. The look on Becky’s face was priceless as she watched her bandmate perform his part. 

“Stop!” Becky shouted, holding up a hand towards Sasha and Cesaro. “Holy fucking shit, you lying motherfucker.” Charlotte couldn’t help but laugh at the language coming from the orange haired woman’s mouth. 

Finn just froze, making sure to keep his face straight as he gazed up at Becky. When he saw her face, he broke into a huge smile, not being able to contain it any longer. “Yeah, I just didn’t want to show off and steal your thunder while your girlfriend was here.” He shrugged, slamming down hard on the chords one more time. 

“First of all, she’s not my girlfriend,” Becky muttered, motioning for Finn to be quiet when he tried to protest. “And second, I don’t give a fuck who is here. If you’ve been hiding that voice all these years, I’m going to kick your ass.” She turned towards Charlotte, blowing her a playful kiss to let her know she hadn’t meant anything bad when she denied Finn’s statement. The blonde just rolled her eyes, waving her hand as if she were telling her to go away. 

“So what? I’m singing now and that’s all that matters,” FInn protested, taking the guitar off and moving his mic away. 

“You know what?” Becky asked, crossing her arms. “That’s okay, you’ll just be singing a lot more from now on.” Having the impression for a decade that Finn wasn’t a singer and then having him belt out what he just did really kind of pissed Becky off. “And if you complain I’ll kick your ass.” The orange haired woman wasn’t giving Finn a choice now. 

“Becky, don’t be an asshole,” Sasha spoke, pointing her drumstick at the Irish native. Becky rounded on her immediately, snatching the stick from her. 

“Shut it, Banks,” Becky said, waving the stick at her. “You wanna go next? I bet you can sing better than both of us.” 

“You know, you’re really stern. You should loosen up a bit,” Charlotte shouted, coming to stand in front of the glass. She pressed her hands against the glass, tilting her head to the side as she smiled at the brown orbs currently staring at her. 

“She needs to get laid!” Cesaro yelled, covering his mouth with his hand as soon as he said it. “I’m sorry, please don’t make me sing.” 

Becky glared at him, shaking her head. “I haven’t had sex in over a month. Leave me alone.” She stepped up to the glass, pointing the stick in Charlotte’s direction. “You like my sternness, so go sit down and shut it, blondie.” 

“Oh!” Finn shouted, clapping his hands together. “Ha.” He pointed at Charlotte, laughing when she narrowed her eyes at him. 

“That’s okay,” Charlotte said, brushing up against the glass as she made sure Enzo and the other sound production members couldn’t see her face. “This is the closest thing you’re ever getting to a kiss now.” She pressed her lips to the glass briefly, watching as Becky’s mouth dropped. For the first time in her life, she wished she was a piece of glass. 

“You all are worse than three year olds,” Enzo said, making his presence known. “You’re making a three hour process turn into a five hour one.” 

“We’re done now anyway, wild child,” Finn said, noticing that Becky wasn’t going to be speaking anytime soon. 

“Good, let’s wrap up. I have dinner plans,” Enzo responded, giving a thumbs up to the group.

When Charlotte went to back away, she made the mistake of looking Becky in the eyes. It was too late to turn away. She was almost positive Becky had seen her normally blue eyes flash to a bright, yellow mix after her “this is the only kiss you’re ever getting” display. She quickly blinked a few times, trying to calm herself down. Luckily, Becky didn’t say anything but it was clear she had saw what had just happened. 

“I’m gonna step outside,” Charlotte said, motioning towards the door as she kept her head down. “Becky, I’ll meet you in the car?” She didn’t wait for a response, if she were even going to get one, before quickly making her exit. 

“What did you do to her?” Sasha asked, wrapping a hand around the back of Becky’s neck, causing her to jump. 

“Nothing, nothing!” Becky said, forcing a smile as she grabbed her jacket. “I’d better get her home, she’s had a long day.” 

The Irish woman ignored the looks that were given as she exited and made her way to the car. The weirdness level had just risen to a hundred. 

XXXXXX

“I’ll see you Friday?” Becky asked, breaking the first awkward silence the two had ever had since they first met. She pulled the car to a stop outside Charlotte’s house, putting it in park once she saw the blonde wasn’t going anywhere. 

“Yeah, of course,” Charlotte mumbled, looking at her house through the passenger window. The upstairs lights were on, meaning that either Jenna was there by herself or her father had miraculously made his way over here. The second option was unlikely. He was supposed to be on a tight resting schedule, there was no way he should be over here. 

“I can walk you to the door…” Becky said, eyeing the blonde. She didn’t know what else to say and Charlotte wasn’t moving to get out of the car, so of course she said the stupidest thing possible. 

“Look, I’m really sorry,” Charlotte said finally, looking down at Becky’s hands settled nervously in her lap. “I know you saw-” 

“I don’t know what-”

“I have eye problems.” 

Well that was one way to put it. After the blonde had blurted out the first thing that had come to mind, she clamped her mouth shut and put a hand on the handle. 

“I understand, Charlotte,” Becky said, daringly letting her left hand reach over to cover the blonde’s. “I mean, it was a little weird and I didn’t even know those things were possible, but hey. I guess they were right when they said nothing is impossible.” Her teasing earned a small smile from Charlotte, causing Becky to sport a smile of her own. 

“Told you that you didn’t know everything about me,” Charlotte muttered, tightening her grip on Becky’s hand. “Usually when people see it, they freak out and demand answers. Thank you for not doing that.” She took her free hand and rubbed her eyes, determined not to cry. 

“Of course,” Becky responded, pulling the blonde into a side hug. “I lo-like you a lot.” Freaking out at her slight mishap, Becky quickly pulled away and rubbed her hands together. “I mean come on, who goes a whole month without sex just for some ditzy blonde who keeps friendzoning them if the person really didn’t like her.” She cautiously watched Charlotte out of the corner of her eyes, pleased to see an even bigger smile on her face. Either that smile was because she heard the slip, or because Becky’s joke was stupider than herself. 

“You wanna come in for a little? Jenna is finally here, she’d love to meet you,” Charlotte offered, opening the car door. “I mean, you just got done in the studio I know you’re probably tired so you don’t have-” 

“I’d love to,” Becky interjected, already opening the door and locking the car. “Anything for my second biggest fan.” The Irish woman nudged Charlotte playfully as they climbed the steps and reached the front door. “You being my number one fan of course.” 

“Yeah, don’t push it,” Charlotte grumbled, unlocking the door. Before she could do anything further, a loud scream caused her to drop her keys and flinch harshly. 

“Oh my god, you weren’t lying!” 

“What the fuck, Jenna?” Charlotte yelled after a moment, clutching at her chest. She turned around to see that Becky hadn’t even moved, but just stood there with a stupid grin on her face. 

“I’m used to it. No worries,” Becky said, laughing at how bad Charlotte had flinched. “Hey there, Jenna,” Becky added, reaching out her hand as she brushed past Charlotte. Instead of taking the offered hand, Jenna launched herself at the orange haired woman, clinging to her like she was the thing keeping the brunette alive. 

“Holy crap, I can’t believe you’re here!” Jenna squealed, squeezing tighter. 

“Okay,” Becky wheezed out, turning to look at Charlotte. “I take that back, you’ve slid into second place.” 

Rushing over to Becky, Charlotte yanked her niece back. “Jenna, really? Come on now, she’s not an object. You’re so embarrassing sometimes.” 

Jenna just huffed, crossing her arms as she glared at her aunt. “My bad,” she said, a clear attitude in her tone. 

Becky smiled, ruffling the girl’s hair some. “Don’t mind her, she’s just cranky. I’m glad you’re a big fan and thanks for all the support, kid.” Jenna smiled brightly again, giving the Irish woman a high five when she offered her hand. 

“Okay, I think you need to go to bed now. School tomorrow,” Charlotte said, interrupting the two. 

“Really?” Jenna asked, already pouting. “It’s not even nine yet and you just brought home the biggest rockstar on the planet. Do you really think I can sleep right now?” 

“I don’t care if you can sleep or not, get up to bed,” Charlotte said, annoyance taking over. She wasn’t trying to be mean to Jenna, but she honestly just wanted to spend more time with Becky before she wouldn’t get to see her for two days. Luckily, she had their date to look forward to the next time she saw the orange haired woman. 

“You’re so mean,” Jenna muttered. She smiled at Becky one last time and ignored her aunt as she headed upstairs for bed. Once Jenna was out of sight, Becky stood up and wrapped her arms around the blonde’s waist, pulling her into a hug. 

“And you talk about me being stern,” the Irish woman whispered, pulling them along so that Charlotte’s back rested against the counter, her arms finding their way around Becky’s shoulders. 

“I love the girl to death,” Charlotte responded. “But I really just want you to myself for a few more minutes.” 

Pulling her head back to look at the older woman, Becky grinned as she tilted her head to the side. “Wait a second, can you say that again? I didn’t quite catch that.” 

“Don’t ruin it,” Charlotte said, her words muffled by the Irish woman’s hair. 

Becky felt her heart flutter as she dragged her hands to rest lower on the blonde’s back. “I never ruin anything. Don’t stress out, I’ll see you on Friday and I promise you it will be the best date you’ve ever had.” 

“I wish you didn’t have to go to New York,” Charlotte said, not bothering to comment on what Becky had just said. “I didn’t realize how hard it was going to be for me. I don’t know where along the line I couldn’t handle a day apart from you.” 

“I know,” Becky said, all hints of playfulness gone. “After this interview, I’m done until next week. Straight Fire is on vacation, remember?” 

“Yeah, you better come straight back,” Charlotte said, causing Becky to laugh at the choice of words. Charlotte didn’t even crack a smile. 

“Come on,” Becky breathed out, looking at the blue eyes in front of her. “Don’t start crying, remember what I told you about that? Besides, I don’t think friends are supposed to get this emotional about being away for a day.” The Irish woman frowned, stopping the blonde’s tears from falling before they even had a chance to escape. 

“I’ve spent all this time rejecting you and playing stupid head games when all I had to do was say yes,” Charlotte spoke, running a hand over her face. “No, I wasted all this time is what I did.” 

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Becky said. “I would reject me too if I were you,” she teased, trying to pull the blonde’s face into a smile. She laughed when Charlotte swatted her hands away and glared at her. 

“I’m so sorry, Becky,” the blonde went on, bringing her bottom lip in between her teeth. 

Smile fading from her face, Becky leaned in to brush her lips against the blonde’s cheek. “It’s okay. Seriously. I just hope you know now how serious I am about you and hopefully you trust me a little bit more than you did a month ago.” 

Charlotte let her hands tangle in the orange hair pressed against her and pulled her impossibly closer as she felt a single tear slide down her face. “I’m tired of fighting this. I can’t do it anymore no matter how hard I try. Friday night, I promise you this is going to change.” 

“I’m not rushing you, you know I’m still here,” Becky said, feeling her eyes start to close when the blonde started running her fingers through her hair. She let go of the older woman, her hands clutching at the counter behind them. 

“I know. I’m almost thirty years old, there’s no need for me to play games anymore. I like you, Becky,” Charlotte said, her tone soft. 

Becky really could not wait until Friday.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date night :)

“Becky with the good arms!” Charlotte practically shouted, rushing over to the Irish woman who was dressed in one of her usual sleeveless shirts and shorts that shouldn’t have been legal. She had black sunglasses perched over her eyes and she seemed even happier than ever to see the blonde. 

“Charlotte with the…” Becky trailed off, hugging the blonde tightly. “Good…” she stopped again, pretending to think about something nice to say. “Face.” 

“Really?” Charlotte asked, pulling completely away. She crossed her arms, brushing a strand of hair away from her face in the process. 

“What?” Becky asked innocently. “It was the only PG thing I could think of.”

“Well, considering no one’s here…” Charlotte said, raising an eyebrow. “Hit me with your best shot.”

“Charlotte with the good ass,” Becky said, shrugging as if it were something that was said everyday. She watched Charlotte’s face turn red as she reached out and grabbed her hand. 

“Okay, I’ll give you that one,” Charlotte teased, looking at their interlaced hands. “I can’t believe you made us wait to see each other all day. You got back from New York this morning, yet it’s almost dark out. I’d think you didn’t want to see me.” 

Pulling Charlotte closer by her hand and moving them towards the Irish woman’s car, Becky leaned against the window. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed that face,” the orange haired woman spoke, moving her glasses up to sit atop her head. She swore she heard Charlotte’s breath hitch as her blue eyes stared into Becky’s brown ones. “I thought it would be more exciting if we waited even longer or some shit, I don’t know okay? It sounded better in my head. Plus, I had to get stuff ready for our date tonight...which starts in approximately half an hour.”

“Or it could start now,” Charlotte suggested, bending down to run her lips across the orange haired woman’s neck. 

“Yep, I think you’re right. It can start now,” Becky said quickly, taking everything she had and removing herself from between the car and the blonde. Charlotte practically pouted as Becky moved away from her.

“I guess this is what I get for stringing you along and making you wait,” Charlotte said, resting her hands on the hood of the Irish woman’s car. 

Becky just laughed, dangling her keys in front of her. “Just wait. Come on, it’s getting darker and I think you’ll like what I have planned.” 

Lifting her head up, Charlotte smiled briefly before sliding into the passenger seat. Becky was honestly just lucky the blonde didn’t turn around and inspect her car. The blankets and laptop were settled in the back meaning that if she had turned around, the surprise could have been ruined. Becky was too nervous, she hadn’t even thought about putting it in the trunk. 

“Are you going to kidnap me?” Charlotte asked playfully as Becky started the car. “I think the media would have a field day with that one.” 

Putting her sunglasses back on, Becky kept her eyes on the road as she drove off. She let a smile cross her face once she heard what the blonde had said, but didn’t look over at her. “I wouldn’t have to kidnap you. It’s not kidnapping if you like it.” 

“Touche,” the blonde responded, leaning back into the seat. “Any chance that you’d tell me what you’ve got planned?”

“You know,” Becky started, turning left at the stoplight. “For a girl who is a big fan of dates and old fashion shit, you really should know that when a lot of planning goes into something other than a cliche dinner or drinks, that the person isn’t going to reveal what it is until you get there.” 

“Is that your long winded way of telling me no?” When Charlotte asked the question, Becky laughed. 

“Yes, love, that is my long winded way of telling you no.” Becky glanced over at Charlotte before turning her attention back to the road. “Wanna hear it in Spanish? No.” 

Charlotte scoffed. “Well, aren’t you just a ball of sunshine tonight.” The blonde’s tone was teasing. “Didn’t get enough sleep?” 

“Maybe I will tonight,” Becky shot back, shifting some in her seat. She didn’t look at Charlotte this time. 

The blonde made an angry cat sound only to bust out laughing afterwards. Becky couldn’t help but laugh at Charlotte, the blonde’s laughter making her laugh harder.

“That’s funny, huh?” Becky asked playfully, now looking at the blonde. “What is that, some kind of mating call? It’s kinda hot.” 

Charlotte froze for a second, her laughter fading some as she felt her heart skip a beat. “W-what?” she asked, meet the orange haired woman’s gaze. “Uh, no.” 

Becky made another turn before they reached a parking lot right before the beach. “Yeah, it’s hot. Do you make those sounds in bed?” 

“Not funny,” Charlotte said immediately after, internally letting out a huge breath of air she had been holding. 

“It was a joke,” Becky said, shaking her head. “I won’t joke like that again.” She sighed, putting the car in park. “Well, here’s your surprise. An empty beach.” She reached into the back seat and brought out the towels along with the laptop buried underneath. 

“I know it was a joke, Becky, I’m sorry,” Charlotte tried to explain, mentally slapping herself for how she reacted. Of course Becky didn’t know. There was no way she could ever guess unless she was told. 

“I hope you like The Notebook ,” the Irish woman said, motioning for Charlotte to follow her. When she saw the sad look on the blonde’s face, she bent down into the car and gently pressed her lips on the corner of her mouth. “It’s fine, Charlotte, come on. It’s kinda cold out here by the water.” 

Sighing loudly, Charlotte got out of the car and let Becky take her hand. “I’m such a bitch to you and yet you still combined two of my favorite things? You’re too good, Rebecca Quin.” 

“Hey, you’re not that bad,” Becky responded, handing Charlotte the laptop so she could carry the towels. “Could be worse.” When she looked over to see the blonde frown, she pulled her closer. “Kidding. You’re perfect.” 

Charlotte felt her heart flutter at the words, thinking about how much Becky had already done for her. “You’re too sweet,” she muttered, letting go of the Irish woman’s hand so that she could set the towels down. 

Becky was right, there wasn’t a soul on the beach which was actually surprising considering it was the middle of summer and the beach was located in Orlando. But Charlotte wasn’t complaining. It was beautiful out. She could hear the waves gently crashing against the shore and feel the sand slip in between the sandals she was wearing. The sky was a pretty midnight color, the wind blowing just enough for the both of them to feel it. The moon was full and already out for the night. Charlotte silently laughed to herself, looking up at the bright object in the sky. If only Becky knew. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Becky said, sitting down on her towel. “Come here, Charlotte with the good ass.” The blonde couldn’t help but chuckle as she sat down with the laptop and handed it over. 

“Are you an ass girl or something?” Charlotte teased, lying back against the the towel covering her from the sand. “Should I lay on my stomach?” she continued, leaning on her side to look at the orange haired woman. 

Becky just rolled her eyes as she settled down, leaning to face towards Charlotte as she situated the laptop. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind. I’m not an either girl. I’m a…” she trailed off trying to think of something smooth to say. “Heart girl. I care about what’s in here,” she said, trying not to laugh at herself as she tapped Charlotte’s chest. 

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. “Uh huh.” The blonde laughed some. “You going to play the movie?”

“I will. Or I could just stare at you all night,” Becky muttered, pressing play nonetheless. They both turned their attention to the screen, Charlotte not being able to pay attention right off the bat. The movie held her attention for about twenty minutes before her eyes started to wonder over to the orange haired woman. 

She practically choked when she saw Becky stretch and rest her arms underneath her head. She felt her heart race and her eyes start to water. Freaking out slightly, she instantly reached up to rub a hand over her eyes, trying not to bring attention to herself. 

“Are you okay?” Becky asked, letting Charlotte know that she hadn’t been successful. 

“Uh, yeah, yeah, of course. Just some sand or something,” Charlotte said, blinking a few times into her hand. She really wish she wasn’t the one stuck with the stupid uncontrollable eye coloring changing shit. 

“Let me see,” Becky responded, moving closer. As soon as she put a hand on the side of Charlotte’s face she instantly shot back, actually causing Becky to jump. 

“No, it’s fine, just some sand,” Charlotte explained, starting to panic more. She took a deep breath before carefully opening her eyes to look at the confused orange haired woman. 

This time, Becky didn’t buy it. She paused the movie, shoving the laptop away as she sat up. “What the hell is going on, Charlotte?” she asked, crossing her arms. Charlotte was in deep shit. 

“Nothing, I told you I had sand in my eyes,” Charlotte said, trying to put on her best smile. “Don’t pause the movie now, I’m fine, see?” she said, pointing towards her eyes. That only pissed Becky off more. 

“Charlotte,” Becky said, her tone darker than Charlotte had ever heard. “I’m not going to ask you this again. If you lie to me one more time, you can forget this date. I am so serious, Charlotte. What happened the other day, was not normal. What’s happening now, is not normal. I’m not an idiot, don’t treat me like one when all I’ve done is patiently sit back and wait while I prove to you I’m not a douchebag. I followed you around like a fucking dog for the past month, I deserve a little bit more than the lies you keep feeding me.” The Irish woman paused to take a breath,before moving on. “Now, please, because I really don’t want this date to end. What the hell is going on with you?” 

Charlotte stared wide eyed at the Irish woman before pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers. She should have stayed far away from this woman. “You would never believe me if I told you. I can’t even prove it without putting us both in danger.” 

Becky was quiet for a moment, studying the blonde across from her. “Because you have eye problems?” She really was confused and starting to become even angrier at the blonde’s lack of explanation. 

“No, well, yes,” Charlotte said, trying her best to explain. “Look, I didn’t know this would happen if I agreed to try this. I thought my eye thing would be a one time deal, I didn’t expect it to happen again. It’s never happened with anyone else and I’ve never had any problems before so I thought it would be safe. I thought we could try this without ever having to tell you or put you in a ny kind of danger.” 

By now Becky had shot up and slammed the laptop shut before reaching down to pick up her towel. “Charlotte…” she warned, watching the blonde through her lashes. “You have no idea how much I like you. This may have worked on other people, but I’m not stupid. I know something wrong when I see it. I really don’t want to walk away from you right now, but I will if you can’t at least put my mind to ease somewhat.” 

She watched Charlotte break her gaze, her eyes settling on the waves in front of them. It made her look even younger than she already was and it made the Irish woman’s heart clench painfully at the thought of leaving her. 

She waited a few moments for Charlotte to speak, but she just continued to stare ahead at the ocean. Becky ran a hand through her hair, trying to prepare herself to turn around and just leave. When she finally got the courage to turn around, she felt a hand wrap itself around her wrist. 

“I’m not fully human,” Charlotte spat out, now getting to her feet. Becky didn’t turn around and that was probably best considering what she had just said. 

“Please tell me you’re not an alien,” Becky muttered, now turning around. Charlotte could hear her heartbeat increase rapidly and saw the confused expression on the Irish woman’s face. “I mean, I really hate aliens and they creep me out. I can handle whatever else you’re going to say but please just say you’re not-” 

“I’m not an alien, Becky,” Charlotte breathed out, laughing slightly. She hadn’t even told the full truth yet and she already felt the weight being lifted off her shoulders. Maybe Becky really was different. 

“Then what are you?” Becky asked, nervously taking her hand back to fold across her chest. She was freezing now and it felt like the temperature dropped twenty degrees. 

“Wolf,” Charlotte said quickly, trying to spit it out and get it over with. “Werewolf, actually.” She could hear Becky’s heart practically beat out of her chest and started to feel worried again. “Becky…” 

The Irish woman’s gaze flickered down to the sand, making it hard to tell what she was thinking. She dropped the towel and set the laptop back down, slowing sinking into the sand. She pursed her lips, trying to figure out what to say, but couldn’t come up with anything that didn’t sound stupid. Logically, she should have been terrified and running for the hills, but she wasn’t. She was a little worried, but she shouldn’t have been surprised to hear what she did. 

“So...the mating comment?” Becky finally asked, her voice becoming shaky as she stared at the sand. She started running her hands up and down her arms, trying to preserve some heat. 

Charlotte took a deep breath, hesitantly sitting down beside the Irish woman, but made sure to leave some space between them. She smiled slightly when Becky didn’t flinch or make a move to leave. “Yes, werewolf mating. It’s a thing. I freaked out because I thought you caught on somehow. I’m really sorry, Becky,” she said, running her hands through the sand nervously. 

“Do you, like, turn whenever you want or wait for a full moon?” Becky turned to finally look at the blonde, a hint of excitement now in her brown orbs. She slowly moved a little closer, not being as worried as she was before, just more curious. “Holy shit, it’s a full moon tonight. How does the process happen? Do you like, already have a mate? Am I like a human fling thing? Please tell me I’m not, you’re really important to me and I really don’t want my heart broken. Wait, what color is your fur? Do you-” 

Becky was cut off when she felt lips being pressed against her own. Her eyes widened for a moment, not believing that Charlotte had just kissed her. It took her a moment to respond and she felt the blonde pulling away, but she quickly regained her senses and pulled her back in. 

When their lips started moving together in synch, Becky felt her insides explode in a flurry of butterflies and her heart skip one too many beats. She gently bit down on the blonde’s bottom lip, smiling softly when she earned a quiet groan as a response. 

“Mhm, wait,” Becky mumbled after a moment, reluctantly pulling back some. She opened her eyes to no longer see blue ones in front of her, but the blonde’s bright yellow wolf ones. She clenched her jaw, running the pad of her thumb gently over the blonde’s cheek. 

“This is one of the answers to your questions,” Charlotte said quietly, blinking rapidly to try and rid the yellow from her eyes. “I can’t control this if I’m already in the process of mating to someone. That said someone being you.” She looked down shyly, pulling away from the orange haired woman. 

Becky didn’t let her go far before she was pulled back and lips were pressed against hers for the second time that night. Charlotte gasped when the Irish woman’s tongue made it’s way past her lips and her hands wandered up to tangle in her blonde locks. 

“That oddly sounds so hot,” Becky muttered, moving her attention to the blonde’s jaw. She watched her eyes change rapidly again and smiled when she felt a low growl vibrate along the length of her throat. 

“It’s...something else,” Charlotte gasped out, finally having the strength to push Becky back some. “I can’t believe you’re not freaking out, this is so weird,” she added, trying to catch her breath. “What the hell is wrong with you?” 

Laughing, Becky moved back some to sit on her hands, making sure she didn’t touch the blonde. “Me? You’re the dog,” she teased, starting to laugh even harder. Maybe she was in shock. There was no way she should have been this okay with finding something like this out. 

“You’re right,” Charlotte said, smiling a little. “I’m not the only wolf either, we travel in packs you know.” This time, both of them couldn’t help the laughter that spilled from them. 

“Wait, so if you travel in packs…” Becky began, trailing off. “Holy shit! No way. If you tell me Dean, Seth, Paige, and everyone else are wolves, I’m going to lose it,” she said, covering her face with her hands as she started to laugh again. 

Charlotte’s laughter died a bit as she answered the Irish woman. “They are. Minus Paige. But Nattie is. Everyone that I was with that first night when I saw you perform is in my pack. There’s seventeen of us. Dean, Seth, Roman, Dolph, Lana, Nattie, Nikki, John, Randy, Cody, Chris, Naomi, Tamina, Jimmy and Jey, Steve, Zack, and myself. Hunter and the other goons that show up at the bar starting trouble are the rival pack.” 

“Take a breath there, blondie, that’s a lot to take in.” Becky smiled, before moving on to her next question. “So who’s the alpha?” Becky asked, glancing at Charlotte. “Unless you can’t tell me that sorta thing. Is that even a thing? Or is that just a movie thing?”

“It’s a thing,” Charlotte said, looking back at the ocean now. “And I can tell you it’s not me. Now that you know, I think you’ll be able to tell who it is if you pay attention.” 

“It’s Dean,” Becky said immediately. “That dude will rip anyone’s head off.” She smiled at the blonde, who had a grin on her face, but was still looking out at the waves. “Plus, I hear him growling all the time. I thought he was just like throwing an adult version of a temper tantrum. Guess not.” 

Charlotte looked at Becky, impressed grin on her face. “Very good.” The blonde laughed some. “And it’s an alpha thing. Now the real question is, can you guess the beta?” 

“I have no idea what that is,” Becky admitted, biting her cheek between her teeth. “Is that like the bitch of the group?” Becky had no filter sometimes. 

“Opposite actually. The alpha’s right hand is what the beta is.” Charlotte shrugged. “So don’t let Dean hear you say that.”

“Yeah, I don’t like his growling,” Becky said, making a face. “Besides, you’ll protect me, won’t you?” the irish woman teased, raising her eyebrows. 

“Yeah, if I want to have my head ripped off or find another pack,” Charlotte responded, only joking. “Oh come on, Dean’s not really like that,” she added once seeing Becky’s face drop. “He’s only a hardass when he needs to be. Half the time there isn’t a pack ranking, it’s more of a big, dysfunctional family...that happens to turn into wolves.” 

“So how does shifting work?” Becky asked, really just repeating her earlier questions but in a slower manner. 

“Well, it’s at will, if that’s what you're really wondering,” Charlotte began, shifting so she was looking at Becky completely. “And the full moon thing is just a myth. The only thing the moon does when it’s full is make the pull to shift slightly more prominent.” 

Becky reached across the sand, grabbing the blonde’s hand and interlacing their fingers. “So are you having stronger urges right now?” she asked quietly, looking down at their fingers. 

“Honestly,” Charlotte started, playing with the Irish woman’s hand. “Not really. But, I am a wolf after all, and everyday is pretty much a struggle not to become the wolf and claim what’s ‘mine’.” 

“Am I yours?” Becky asked, seemingly really curious. It was almost adorable. 

“In wolf terms, yes,” Charlotte breathed out, laughing. “In human terms, you’re your own person, I can’t control you.” 

“Okay, good,” Becky said, taking a deep breath. “I have control issues. Like, really.” 

“Yeah, your little studio display the other day proved that much,” Charlotte responded, cautiously pulling Becky closer to her. She knew Becky wasn’t going to freak out, but something deep down told her to just be careful anyway. 

Becky shrugged. “Yeah yeah,” she mumbled, pulling back from Charlotte and instead pulling her towards herself. 

“See!” Charlotte practically shouted, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. “You won’t even let me initiate hugs, it’s always you who decides when and where.” Becky pursed her lips, putting a hand over Charlotte’s mouth to keep her quiet. 

“Sh, wolf girl,” Becky teased, pulling them down so that Charlotte’s head rested on her shoulder. She was going to have sand in weird places, but she couldn’t care less about that right now. 

After Charlotte had rolled her eyes and just let Becky do what she wanted, she broke the silence. “What happened to you?” she asked, reaching for Becky’s hand again. 

As if she had been burned, Becky yanked her hand back. “Things,” she glanced at Charlotte and sighed. “Things that I really don’t want to talk about.”

“You know you can trust me, right? I mean, Jesus, I just told you I’m a werewolf.” As Charlotte spoke, she tried to pull Becky to her again. “No matter how ugly or bad, it won’t change how I look at you.”

Fighting Charlotte even more now, Becky gritted her teeth and kept the blonde’s head in place. “Dublin isn’t easy, I told you that, remember?” She took a deep breath, watching Charlotte’s head rise and fall along with her intake of breath. 

“I know you fought a lot,” Charlotte said, taking the orange haired woman’s hand and this time being successful. “But street fighting is like boxing. I don’t think you’d be like this from just that. I mean, there’s a difference between a ‘control freak’ and whatever you are.” 

Becky didn’t say anything for a moment, feeling her heart beat faster in slight anger. She knew Charlotte didn’t mean anything by what she had said, but she really didn’t want to talk about it.   
“My parents weren’t rich,” Becky decided to go with. “My father was an alcoholic who couldn’t keep a job for more than a month and my mother struggled with cancer for the better half of her life, meaning there was no money coming in and out like there should have been.” 

Charlotte clutched at the Irish woman’s shirt, gently craning her neck to look at her as she continued. “My innocence was long gone by the time I was 13. I had no choice. I couldn’t let my parents live on the streets of Dublin, they’d never make it.” 

“What?” Charlotte breathed out, sitting up a bit to look at the Irish woman better. “You-?”

“I’ve been held hostage, framed for murder, left a man lying in the street to die after he had provoked me to the point where I could have ended his life, I started drinking like my father when I was fourteen, I’ve done every possible drug you could think of, and I became a fucking prostitute when I was sixteen,” Becky rambled, interrupting the blonde who looked as if she could drown with the amount of tears falling from her eyes. 

“I really didn’t mean-” 

“What did I tell you about crying?” Becky interrupted again, sitting up this time. She cupped the blonde’s face in her hands, wiping the tears under her eyes. “I’m fine, see?” she said, grabbing the blonde’s hands and bring them to rest over where her heart was. “I know you can hear that, wolf.” 

“How are you still standing?” Charlotte said, letting out a watery laugh. “That’s fucking insane.” 

“I have people to live for,” Becky said gently, interlacing their hands again. “Everything’s okay now, I’ve moved on.” She grinned cheesily. “I found you.”

Charlotte smiled brightly, not even being able to help herself as she stole another kiss from the orange haired woman. “You are the sweetest.” Another kiss. “Most selfless.” Another kiss. “Amazing human being in the world.”

“I really like you, Charlotte,” Becky muttered, cupping the blonde’s face in her hands. “Dog or not.” She couldn’t help but throw in a joke, it’s what she did whenever she was nervous. 

Ignoring the joke, Charlotte just leaned back in to plant another kiss on the orange haired woman’s lips. The night may not have gone the way either of them would have liked, but Charlotte couldn’t help admitting that she felt so much better now that Becky knew. The Irish woman was literally Charlotte’s definition of perfection.


	6. Chapter 6

“What the fuck do you mean Dean killed Del Rio?” Charlotte exploded, holding the phone up to her ear. “Is he insane? Nevermind, don’t answer that.” The blonde shook her head, letting out the breath she had been holding ever since Seth had called her. 

“I know, Charlotte,” Seth responded, sighing into the receiver. “We’re having a meeting in about twenty down at the bar. Things are about to change drastically.” 

“No shit,” Charlotte said, slamming her fist down onto the kitchen counter. “What the fuck did Del Rio do anyway?” 

“I’d rather not talk about it on the phone. Everything will be explained in our normal room at the bar.” 

“Does Emerson know anything?” 

“Yes. She knows.” Gritting her teeth, Charlotte hung up the phone without even responding anymore. She didn’t even know what to say anymore. It seemed like everyone was now finding out their secret and it scared the living daylights out of the blonde. 

Glad that Jenna was at her grandfather’s for the day, Charlotte quickly grabbed her keys and slipped one of her pocket knives into her jeans before headed out the door. It only took her about ten minutes to get to the bar and by the time she got there Paige had immediately pointed towards the back room, letting her know that the group was already in there. 

She nodded her head subtly, pushing past the crowd to make her way to the room. It wasn’t very big, but it was a safe haven. It was almost like a storage closet, but slightly bigger of course, having to accommodate twelve people.

“Someone has about ten seconds to tell me exactly what the hell happened,” Charlotte rushed out, putting her car keys in her back pocket as she leaned heavily against the furthest wall. “And why the hell she’s here. This is a pack meeting.” She barely acknowledged Emerson sitting next to Dean, only jerking her head slightly to the side so that they knew who she was talking about. 

Dean, who was sitting in a chair with Seth on his right and Emerson on his left, just raised an eyebrow. “First of all, you don’t make demands, I do.” After he spoke, Dean held up a second finger. “Second of all, you really need to work on knowing your place and having some restraint.” 

As soon as the words left his mouth, for the first time in a long time, Charlotte let out a low growl as she stepped up to Dean. “I came here to find out what kind of shit you’ve gotten us into, not to be talked to like dirt.” 

“Are you challenging me, pup?” Dean asked as he stood, crossing his arms. “Cause now is really not the time.” 

“Dean,” Seth warned, standing next to shaggy haired man. “Really not the time.” 

“I risk my life for this pack, I don’t think this is the kind of shit I get in return,” Charlotte started, ignoring the looks from everyone. “For the first time in my life I’m actually really happy and here you are killing people from rival packs knowing full well that all hell is going to break lose.” 

“You don’t need to remind me of the rules, pup, I break them quite often so I know what they are,” Dean gritted out. “And for your information, Del Rio drew first blood.” 

“He touched an Alpha’s and Beta’s mate without permission,” Seth added. 

“I don’t give a shit,” Charlotte spat, her mood turning sour very quickly. “What you did put every human around us in danger. Paige, Emerson, Becky,” she listed off, coming closer to the shaggy haired man. “Did you even think about that?” 

“Do you want to know why I killed Del Rio?” Dean asked, stepping so that he and Charlotte were eye to eye. “He threatened to rape my mate. Your alpha’s mate, your beta’s mate.” The growl in the Ohio native’s voice was sinister. “What do you think he would’ve done if I let him live? Learn his lesson? Beg for forgiveness?” As Dean spoke, he started moving closer and closer to Charlotte until she had no choice but to back down. 

“Emerson shouldn’t be here,” Charlotte said quietly, turning her nose up at the redhead. “If she’s the reason Del Rio was killed, then she has no reason to be here.” 

“You know what, I’m sick of your shit,” Emerson spoke up, rising to her feet. “I don’t give a shit who you are or what you are.” 

Charlotte’s eyes briefly flashed a sickening yellow as she let her lips curl into a lazy smile. Charlotte rarely ever became this way, but her wolf wasn’t the nicest one in the pack. It had a nasty attitude and rivaled Dean’s in the aggression department. 

“Oh, that’s adorable, you think you have a voice here,” Charlotte growled, advancing on the redhead. She wasn’t going to hurt her, but she could try her best to intimidate the woman. “If the alpha here wants to talk about ranks and knowing your place, yours is on the bottom, love.” 

Emerson let out a mocking laugh. “Oh that’s cute.” She moved towards Charlotte. “Last I checked, not only was I the alpha’s mate but I was the beta’s too.” Emerson paused and pretended to think before speaking again. “So, human or not, I still outrank you.” 

The taller woman’s heart raced in anger as she listened to Emerson. She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, starting to feel the wolf wanting to come out and play. “She needs to go, you’ve pissed her off enough,” Nattie said, gently putting her hands on the other blonde’s shoulder. She felt another growl ripple through the taller woman when she was touched, but managed to get her to the doorway. 

“Tell me, Charlotte,” Emerson said. “If it had been Becky, killing Del Rio would’ve been okay though, wouldn’t it?” 

Emerson just couldn’t stop. She had no idea what any of them were like besides Dean and Seth, but she couldn’t help but playing with fire. When Charlotte ripped from Nattie’s grip, she launched herself across the room, aiming for the redhead’s throat, but was stopped when her brother hurled himself into her. 

“Stop!” Dean shouted, moving in front of Emerson. Seth stayed dormant at Emerson’s side, knowing that the situation was going to be handled. “Stand down, now!”

“That anger you felt,” Emerson said, moving from behind Dean. “That fear. That’s what they felt.” The redhead gestured to Dean and Seth. “So don’t blame Dean for something his instincts told him to do.” 

“You just keep talking, don’t you?” Charlotte seethed, feeling her hands grasp at Dolph, trying to keep them from shifting. “Becky can handle herself. Don’t ever pretend like you know what I would do. I’m not Dean.” 

Before anyone else could move or say anything, the door creaked open and Paige stuck her head in, an angry look on her face. “What the hell is going on in here? People are starting to talk and Becky just got here. I’ve been trying to stall her, but the noise isn’t help, fuckfaces.” 

“I’ll go help you stall,” Emerson said, moving past Charlotte. “No humans allowed, remember?” 

“Don’t touch her, Emerson,” Charlotte spat out, shoving Dolph off of her. He stood between his sister and the redhead, knowing that if he let Charlotte go, she would do something she’d never done before. 

Emerson spun on a dime, pushing Dolph some so she could see the blonde. “Or you’ll do what?” The redhead questioned, smiling sarcastically. “Go ahead, think of something to scare me with. I dare you.” She could see the sweat forming over the blonde’s body, presumably from the sheer force of trying to stay calm. “I was almost raped last night, I watched a man get his throat ripped out, and found out werewolves were real. So, please, try me.” 

“Unlike Dean, I refuse to kill. I fight, but I’ve never killed,” Charlotte said, her hands pressing against Dolph’s shoulders. “Get out of here. Don’t touch Becky. That’s it.”

“You would be surprised what you’d do to protect someone you love,” Emerson retorted. “But, I’m going. And I’ll give Becky a huge hug for you.” Spinning on her heels, Emerson gave a small, victorious smile before brushing past Nattie at the door.

“Dolph…” Charlotte warned, feeling her claws start to form. 

“Stop, Charlotte,” Dolph said softly, holding her in place. “She’s gone. Becky is fine. Everything will be fine.” She couldn’t believe her day was starting out this way. She was doing so good and her temper had been in check for years, but then this redheaded human comes along and messes with her head. 

Letting out a small growl that slowly turned into a whimper, Charlotte felt herself start to relax and her claws retract into her fingers again. She let go of Dolph, leaning heavily against the wall as he backed up a few steps. 

“Fuck you, Dean,” Charlotte mumbled, wiping the sweat from her head as she slid to the ground. “Fuck you.” 

XXXXXX

As soon as Emerson exited the room she headed straight for the bar, pouring herself three shots of whiskey. 

“Emerson!” Becky shouted, moving over to stand in front of the redhead. She sat down on the stool, taking one of the shots she had just poured. “Where is everyone? Charlotte asked me to meet her here at three.” She looked down at her wrist, pretending there was a watch there. “It’s almost four.” 

“Yeah, well, I was informed not to talk to you,” Emerson replied, slamming back another shot. She set the glass down, bracing her hands on the bar. “But they’re in a...gang meeting right now. No outsiders allowed.” 

Eying the redhead curiously, Becky tapped her hands on the counter. Emerson looked as if someone had just told her she had a death sentence. Her hair was slightly frayed and her face was scrunched in a look that said she wasn’t in the mood. 

“Gang?” Becky asked, folding her hands together. “I don’t think it’s called a gang. And why can’t you talk to me?” 

Emerson rolled her eyes. “Ask Charlotte.” She leaned on the counter, resting her head in her hands as she stared at the orange haired woman. “She told you?”

Baring her teeth, Becky growled lowly. As if she were waiting for a confirmation, Emerson nodded, pursing her lips. “Yep. She told you, alright.” 

Before she could say anything more, the chatter in the bar died down as Hunter, Barrett, one unknown man and a rough looking Dave walked through the bar door. The rival gang members made their way through the bar as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Emerson watched as Paige tensed and grabbed the British woman by the wrist. 

“Go get Dean, Seth and the others, yeah?” Emerson whispered, her voice so soft that even Paige had trouble hearing at first. “Go.”

As soon as Paige left to go to the back, Emerson hopped over the counter and placed herself so she was sitting next to Becky. “Just a heads up, Charlotte and Dean aren’t on a good page right now. She tried to wolf out back there.” 

Becky’s eyes widened, her hands playing with the shot glass in front of her. “On who? You?” When Becky was done, Emerson nodded slightly. 

“There was a whole mess yesterday and one of the rival pack members was killed. By Dean. Charlotte…” Emerson trailed off, making a cutting motion over her throat. “Didn’t approve.” Becky’s eyes widened and she went to speak, but was cut off. 

“Hey there, princess,” the voice of the unknown man said. Dave and Hunter stood slightly behind Emerson, their arms crossed. The blonde haired man took the stool next to Becky, leaning across the bar to settle his hands in front of her. “I’m TJ. What’s your name beautiful?” 

“Not your type,” Becky shot back, not even bothering to look at the man. “Trust me.” 

“She likes a ‘V’ where you have a ‘P’,” Emerson added, eyes wandering to Barrett who had decided to sit next to her. “And her girl is very angry right now. This isn’t a wise choice.” 

“Ouch,” TJ muttered, putting a hand over his chest. “Which pup is it? Natalie? Charlotte? Charlotte’s a good one. Natalie, she’s a little uptight.” He laughed loudly, high fiving Dave from behind Emerson. 

“Whoa, hold on a second,” Becky said, shoving the glass away from her. She turned to look at TJ, scooting her stool away some so she could face him completely. “Do you want to try that again?” 

Emerson sighed and leaned over the bar, grabbing a bottle of whiskey. This TJ kid was already pressing her buttons. “That whole pack back there will be here any second now. Twelve against three is a little risky, don’t you think?” 

“Oh, come on,” TJ said, leaning closer to Becky. “I just wanna have some fun. I don’t care if you’ve got a girl, a boy, or even a table. Come on,” TJ added, reaching to wrap his arm around Becky. The orange haired woman quickly jerked from his reach and elbow him in the nose, but it did more damage to her fist than it did his face. It actually only made him angry. 

Emerson rolled her eyes and pulled out the handgun she had on her hip, placing it on the counter. “Touch her again and I’ll shoot you,” the redhead said, taking a sip from her whiskey. Any bystander would have thought she’d been doing this for years with the way she was acting. They should have been used to it now though. There was some kind of confrontation here every week. 

“There’s no need for that,” Charlotte interrupted, calmly making her way over to Becky. She wrapped a tight arm around the Irish woman and gently dragged her back towards Emerson. “Leave, mutt. Or this alpha here won’t hesitate to rip a limb off and feed it to your goons.” She didn’t even have to point to Dean because when she turned around he was already by her side. 

“Oh you mean the alpha that killed one of my pack members last night?” Hunter asked, adding himself into the conversation. 

“Oh you mean the pack member that tried to rape me?” Emerson mocked, fiddling with the gun on the counter. It was taking everything in her not to pick it up and put all three members six feet under. 

“Whoa, what?” Becky asked. Charlotte turned around and went to wrap an arm around the orange haired woman’s neck. Surprisingly, Becky actually let herself be pulled into the embrace. 

“I will explain everything to you when this is over, I promise,” Charlotte muttered into her hair, keeping her eyes on Dave and Hunter behind them. “Please just be quiet for the time being. All it takes is one wrong word from you for one of them to come over here and hurt you.” Becky felt the blonde’s chest rumble slightly, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand. 

“That’s not my problem,” TJ growled, breaking Charlotte’s gaze so that it now turned back to the blonde haired man speaking. “Del Rio needs some love too.” 

Emerson looked at TJ, a fake smile covering her face. “Tell me, does that hurt?”

TJ’s face twisted in confusion. “Does what hurt?”

The redhead grinned darkly as she picked up and pulled the trigger on her gun, hitting TJ directly in the knee cap. “That.” 

The bar instantly went up in an uproar, the majority of people trying to flee the scene before they became the next victim. Paige came sprinting from the back room, disbelief on her face and Becky covered her ears already preparing herself for the next possible shot from one of the rivals. It never came. Instead, Hunter snatched Paige as she walked by, wrapping an arm around her throat. 

“You’re a stupid bitch,” Hunter growled, pressing the cold metal that was his pistol into the English woman’s temple. When Nattie went to move, he turned toward her and knocked the safety away, ready to shoot. “Uh, uh, uh,” he said, clicking his tongue. “She gets a bullet next time anyone moves.” Paige held her breath, reaching her hands up to encircle the arm holding her captive. 

“Now, now, Hunter,” Emerson said, pointing her gun to TJ’s head. “Either you let her go or I’ll blow his brains out next.” She made a face of mock sympathy. “Do you really want to lose another member of your pack?” 

“I guess we’ll be here all night then,” Hunter gritted out, smiling sickeningly as he tightened his grip. Paige gasped, closing her eyes tightly so she could try and concentrate on her breathing. 

“Let her go! She didn’t do anything to you,” Becky spoke up, trying to get away from Charlotte. As she spoke, Dave turned his gaze to the Irish woman and smiled. 

“Becky, shut up! Now!” Charlotte growled, tightening her grip on the orange haired woman. She quickly whipped her around towards the bar, covering her as best she could so that the Irish woman couldn’t struggle. 

“Oh, no I quite like the balls on this one,” Dave said, moving closer. He made his way behind Charlotte, but stopped in his tracks when he saw Emerson’s look. She glared at the man, nothing like he had ever seen before. In the next instant, all of the lights in the bar exploded, washing the place in complete darkness. At first no one moved.

Paige let out a yelp, her body hitting the floor as another shot was fired off. Somehow, the lights flickered on and off like strobe lights, the movement in the room picking up. Two distinct growls could be heard and one last shot echoed through the nearly empty bar. 

“Charlotte!” Becky shouted, trying her best to catch the weight that was slowly coming down on her. “No, no, no.” 

The blonde let out a deep growl, pushing Becky away from her as she slumped against the counter. “Dean, Seth, someone, get her out of here before someone else bites a bullet,” Charlotte seethed, clutching at her stomach. 

“No, I’m not leaving,” Becky protested, trying to settle down beside the blonde. Her voice was starting to crack, but she blinked her eyes a few times to keep the tears away. She knew Charlotte could hear her heart beating a million miles an hour, but she couldn’t get it to stop. 

Emerson, who had put her gun away when the lights when out, pushed TJ away from her. By now, Hunter had lost his gun and Dave was standing in the middle of the bar with his hands above his head. 

“Yeah, Emerson, be helpful and get her out of here. Take Paige while you’re at it,” Charlotte gritted out, applying more pressure to her wound. As Emerson moved, both Dean and Dolph made their way over to the blonde. Moving a protesting and very upset Becky out of the way, Dean picked Charlotte up and set her on the counter as Dolph cleared the bar spotless. 

Emerson helped Paige up and made a ‘come on’ motion to Becky. “Now is not the time to argue,” Emerson said, sighing. Becky tried to break her grip and even though she had years of fight training, her energy was completely drained.

“I-is she going to be okay?” Becky asked, blinking rapidly again. She felt her chest tighten and her throat clench painfully. 

Looking back over her shoulder, Emerson took a deep breath as she tightened her hold on both Becky and Paige. “She’s a tough cookie. And a wolf. It takes a lot more than a bullet to keep them down. Come on,” Emerson mumbled, guiding the women out of the bar. “Let’s go.” She heard Chris yelling at Hunter as they left. 

“I think you’ve done enough,” Jericho spoke up, shoving Hunter in the back. “Move, let’s go. Run before the cops show up. Hell, if you don’t go now, we’re gonna take all the fun from them.” He bared his teeth, snapping his jaw at the taller man. 

“Take your injured mutt and let’s go,” Randy said, gripping Dave’s arm and tugging him along. “Now.” 

“Get up, TJ,” Hunter growled, shaking his head. “Now! Suck it up.” Pulling TJ to his feet, he grabbed his collar and dragged him towards the back door of the bar along with Dave. 

“This isn’t over,” Charlotte grunted from the counter, picking her head up to look at the trio. “Believe me. Not only have you pissed off an alpha, but you’ve pissed off a wolf with a very bad temper.” 

Ripping the bottom half of the blonde’s shirt, Dean gave her his jacket to bite down on. “This is probably going to hurt, so lay back, bite the fuck outta that thing, and shut up.”

By now, the rival members had scattered away, for fear that they would get caught up in police mess. Little did they know that the police weren’t coming. But the threat worked every time, so there was no need to stop using it. 

Muffling her pained cry into the jacket, Dolph held her arms at bay as Dean fished the bullet out. “I fucking hate you!” Charlotte cried, practically making everyone feel the agony she was in as she screamed. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Dean muttered, throwing the bullet onto the counter. “Bite me.” 

XXXXXX

Emerson pulled into Dean and Seth’s garage, sighing as she yanked the keys out of the ignition. “Dude, I can hear your worrying from here,” she said, looking at the backseat where Becky was fidgeting. “Charlotte is fine, she’s probably healed by now.”

“This is all fucking crazy,” Becky said, slamming her fist into the door. “Guns, werewolves, Charlotte and guns…” she rambled off, clutching her head in her hands. 

“Please don’t dent the car that I don’t own,” Emerson replied, turning to look at the Irish woman. “Look at me, Becky.” When the orange haired woman didn’t move, Emerson reached back and slapped her on the back of her head. “She’s fine. She’s in good hands and in the next few hours she’ll be back with you and you can suck each other’s faces off for however long you want, okay?” 

Paige snickered with amusement from the passenger seat. “Trust me, I’ve seen how fast wolves heal. Charlotte will be as good new in less than two hours.”

When Becky settled her head back into her hands, Emerson saw her palms press hard against her eyes. She wasn’t taking this very well. However, realization hit her like a train. 

“You love her,” Emerson breathed out, reaching for Becky’s arm. As the redhead placed a hand over her arm, Becky didn’t move an inch. “Is she mated to you?”

“Can we please go inside?” Becky asked into her hands, shielding her face from the duo as she opened the car door. “I’m thirsty.” 

Emerson rolled her eyes but nodded, getting out of the car. She should have known it wouldn’t be that easy with Becky. She gave Paige a look as she made her way around the car and followed the orange haired woman up the steps. 

“You know,” Emerson started, unlocking the door. She turned to look at Becky and ushered her inside “You’ll be thanking me when all of this is over. Charlotte will be perfectly fine, she’ll know that you’re madly in love with her, and you guys can make however many pups you want.” 

When Paige snorted, Becky shot her a look that told her to shut it. “I’m not in love with her. I really like her, that’s it,” Becky shot back, searching the refrigerator for water. Her movements were almost frantic, like she had to quickly pour it or she would die. 

Emerson laughed, rolling her eyes. “Uh huh. And I hate Dean and Seth.” The redhead sighed. “Look, Becky, just pause for a minute. I know you’re scared, but you need to breath.” 

“Clearly, I’m breathing,” Becky said retorted, clutching the counter like it were her lifeline. “God, I’m such a pussy.”

“God dammit, Becky! Now is not the time for your fucking sarcasm!” Emerson exploded, her outburst causing the lights to flicker. 

“Whoa, there,” Paige said, resting a hand on the redhead’s upper arm. “Uh, please tell me you didn’t just do that. I don’t think either of us can handle anymore supernatural shit.” 

“I-I,” Emerson breathed out, eyes widening. “What the fuck did I just do?”

“Not again,” Becky groaned, lifting herself up onto the counter. She took another drink of her water, taking deep breaths as she gazed at the ceiling. 

“Yeah, cause I knew,” Emerson snarked, crossing her arms. “What the fuck did I just do?” As the redhead repeated the question, the light over Becky’s head shattered, spraying glass all over her. 

“What the fuck, Emerson?” Becky shouted, quickly jumping down. She held out her arms, looking at the small droplets of blood starting to form. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what the fuck is happening.” Emerson cried out, wincing as another light bulb shattered. 

“Fuck this,” Becky muttered, grabbing the whole roll of paper towels setting by the counter. “I’m going back to the bar.” 

“You can’t,” Paige answered, jumping as the lights flickered. “Charlotte will freak out.” 

Before Becky could open the door, it was jerked from her hand and slammed back into it’s place. Not moving her arm, the Irish woman rested her head against the door and sighed heavily. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Emerson apologized, letting out a yell as the light bulb above her shattered. “I really don’t know how to stop it.” 

“Americans,” Becky muttered, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “How about calm down, yeah? That seems to be the issue.” 

“Your girlfriend hates my guts and is out to get me, you won’t listen and my boyfriends have a neon sign that say’s ‘come get me’ on their backs,” Emerson retorted, glaring some. “So yeah, let me just calm down.” 

“Okay, first of all,” Becky said, turning around now. She let her back rest against the door and rested her hands on her knees. “She’s not my girlfriend and I have no idea why she would be out to get you. Second,” she added, holding up another finger. “I’ll stay here if you just calm the fuck down and stop exploding things. Your boyfriend's will be just fine. I need them to be just fine so they can fucking fix the blonde idiot that you claim hates you.” By now, Becky’s accent had become so heavy that both Paige and Emerson had a hard time understanding the last half of her speech. 

Emerson took a deep breath, trying to calm down the pangs of anger she felt. “I don’t know what else you want, I’m trying to calm down but I have no idea what the hell is going on. Do you know how scary that is?” The redhead sighed. “It’s fucking freaky, okay.” 

“Look,” Becky said, moving away from the door. She picked up the dropped roll of paper towels and held some over the cut spots on her arms. “Maybe if I left you would calm down some. I won’t leave the house, I’ll just go upstairs or something, okay?” 

She heard Emerson let out a breath and watched her cross her arms. A soft sound coming from someone’s phone cut off whatever the redhead was about to say. It was Emerson’s.

“Charlotte is fine,” the redhead said, reading the text she got from Dean. “He removed the bullet and she’s still healing, but at a pretty fast rate. They’re going to bring her over soon. They’re on their way.” Emerson leaned against the counter after she sent a quick reply and shoved her phone back into her pocket. The lights stopped flickering. 

Becky felt the relief flood over her features at the news. She rubbed her hands over her face quickly, trying to wipe away any emotion that had been building there. “I’m going to the bathroom. I need a minute.” 

Emerson just nodded, not bothering to speak. When Becky was gone, she turned to Paige and gave her the best puppy dog eyes she could muster. “They hate me.” The redhead shook her head. “And I don’t know why.”

“They don’t hate you,” Paige reassured. “Especially not Becky. I don’t know what happened with Charlotte, but I know she always comes around. She’s a really sweet girl, it’s her wolf you have to worry about.” 

“Lovely,” Emerson said sarcastically, sitting down in the leather chair. “Dean’s wolf isn’t a walk in the park either.”

“Cheer up,” Paige said, coming to sit beside the redhead. She took one of the woman’s hands in her own and smiled. “At least now you have some kind of freaky witch voodoo shit going on so you can kick ass.” 

Emerson chuckled, but before she could respond, the door flew open. In came Dean, Seth, Randy, Dolph, and Charlotte trailing slightly behind them. “Thank god,” Emerson breathed out, rushing over to the group. “Someone go get Becky before she burns this place down.” 

Brushing past Dolph, Charlotte favored her stomach as she made her way over to Emerson. Before the redhead could move, the blonde wrapped her in a tight hug which worried Emerson slightly. She was really confused now and kept wondering if she were hurting the taller woman. She did just get shot after all. 

“Thank you,” Charlotte whispered, clutching the redhead like it was the last thing she’d ever do. “Seriously.” 

Patting the blonde on the back softly, Emerson smiled briefly. “No problem. You should probably go check on her though, she’s kind of messed up right now.” She didn’t know what else to say to the blonde. She wasn’t sure if they were on good terms now or not. 

“You know,” Charlotte said, carefully heading towards the stairs. She took her hand away from her stomach and ran a hand through her disheveled hair. “I named my wolf Bridget.” When Emerson gave her a confused look, she continued. “It’s actually an Irish name that roughly translates to ‘power’ and ‘strength’. I hope that helps you understand why I’m such an asshole when trying to hold her back.” Smiling softly, the blonde diverted her gaze and headed up the steps. 

Emerson’s mouth dropped a fraction, unsure of what she should say. This was turning into one hell of a day. 

XXXXXX

“Oh my god, I can’t decide if I hate you or love you,” Becky practically shouted, opening her arms for the blonde to move into. When Charlotte did, Becky squeezed her tighter than ever, but then quickly realized that the blonde had just been shot and maybe it wasn’t the best idea to be doing that. She pulled back, planting a hard kiss right on the center of Charlotte’s mouth. 

“Did you just say love?” Charlotte asked, holding the Irish woman’s face in her hands. 

Realizing what she had said, Becky shook her head quickly and placed a goofy smile on her face. “Yeah, you know, love or hate. Two complete opposites. That’s what I meant.” 

Charlotte was the one this time to lean in and place a gentle kiss on the orange haired woman’s lips to try and ease her discomfort. “Anyway,” she started, wrapping her arms around the younger woman’s neck. “I’m fine. No need to go tearing up the place. But by the looks of it, you’ve already done that.” She pointed to Becky’s arms, acknowledging the light marks on them. 

“That’s not my fault,” Becky explained. “Emerson went like batshit crazy and blew a lightbulb over my head. This was the outcome.” She held up her arms between the two to give Charlotte a better look. 

“Wait, she what?” Charlotte asked, looking at the Irish woman’s arms. She ran her finger over the cuts gently before looking back at her. 

“I’m assuming wolves aren’t the only supernatural creatures around here. The lights going out and shit blowing up can’t just be a coincidence,” Becky responded. “But it’s not Emerson’s fault, she was just as freaked out as Paige and I.”

“I honestly don’t think this can get any worse,” Charlotte mumbled. She moved away and sat down on the side of the bathtub, planting her feet flat on the tiled floor. 

“Why does she think you hate her?” Becky asked, moving to the topic at hand that she really wanted to get to. She crossed her arms and leaned against the sink, waiting for the blonde to respond. 

“She said that?” Charlotte asked. 

“Yeah. And something along the lines of ‘I have orders not to touch you’,” Becky added, raising an eyebrow. 

“I don’t hate her,” Charlotte immediately said, trying to reassure the Irish woman. “My wolf may hate her though.” 

“This is so weird.” 

“It could be worse. I could be a blood sucking creature of the night.” 

Becky froze. “Wait.” She looked at Charlotte, eyes wide as she spoke. “Vampires are real?” 

“Not anymore. Bitches have been wiped out,” Charlotte said, a small smile creeping onto her face. “So that’s one thing we don’t have to worry about.” 

“There’s more?” The question from the orange haired woman made Charlotte chuckle. “It’s so hard to believe someone so hot is a dog.” 

Charlotte rolled her eyes and sighed. “Yeah well, it’s hard to believe someone so hot is a douchebag,” she retorted. “And yes, unfortunately there is more.” 

“How many more?”

The blonde released a huge sigh. They would be here all night if she answered Becky’s question. She decided to only name a few. “Witches, which it sounds like Emerson may have something to do with that, demons, and banshees.” 

“Wait, so I’m really confused,” Becky said, shaking her head. “Is this just like an American thing?” 

“No, it’s not,” Charlotte said, coming to grab the Irish woman’s face in her hands. She squeezed her cheeks together, making the orange haired woman groan in annoyance. “You could easily be supernatural. You just have to be willing and know the right people. Though I highly recommend you stay human. Humanity is a blessing.” 

“So…” Becky started, turning them so that Charlotte was the one pressed against the sink. “You can’t change me? Is that even a thing?” She trailed her lips along the blonde’s throat and smiled. 

“It’s a process. But I’m absolutely saying no. Never going to happen,” Charlotte responded, tangling her fingers through the orange mane. “Don’t ever ask me to do it.” 

“Geez,” Becky mumbled, pulling her head back to look at the blonde. “Touchy subject.” 

“Yes, so shut it,” Charlotte said, turning the younger woman’s lips to meet her own. When the Irish woman’s hands started to wonder, Charlotte reluctantly pushed her back and closed her eyes. 

“You suck,” Becky said, getting the message. “But then again, you did just get shot. Go lay down for a little. I’m sure Dean wouldn’t mind. That is, if you’re still not on bad terms with him…” 

Charlotte opened her eyes and glared at the orange haired woman. “Emerson?” Becky nodded her head. 

“He killed someone,” Charlotte said, running her hands over her face. 

“To stop him from raping Emerson,” Becky retorted, sighing some. “Could you honestly tell me that you wouldn’t do the same if it were me?”

Looking into the brown eyes in front of her, Charlotte felt defeated. Her mind was telling her that no, she wouldn’t have done the same, but her gut was telling her yes, she would have. 

When Charlotte didn’t answer her, Becky nodded. “Exactly what I thought.” The Irish woman raised an eyebrow.

“Look, I don’t know what I would have done, okay?” Charlotte said. “All I know is that now that a rival pack member is dead, there’s sure to be a war now which means putting your life on the line along with Emerson’s. That’s not okay.” The blonde covered her face, trying to gather her thoughts. 

Becky didn’t say anything for a long moment. She stared at the blonde’s covered face in front of her and thought about how much Charlotte was really beginning to mean to her. The fact that she was so upset about the killing solely because Becky’s life just became slightly more dangerous, made her stomach flip. 

“Be my girlfriend.”


End file.
